NASA has released stunning new images of Pluto， revealing the distant dwarf planet has blue
skies and regions of red water－ice.
This is the latest in a number of remarkable achievements and discoveries for NASA in the
past year.
Kwon Jang－ho has the details.
Blue skies － just like home.
These are the latest pictures of Pluto sent from the New Horizons space probe.
They show the particles in Pluto′s atmosphere dispersing sunlight to produce a hazy blue
sky.
The unexpected discovery has stunned and delighted NASA， with the probes principal investigator
describing it as ′gorgeous.′ The color is helping with understanding the
composition of the planet′s atmosphere.
Photos of exposed regions of red water ice have also been sent back， but NASA′s scientists
were at a loss to explain the intensity of their color， saying more research is needed.
New Horizons was launched in January 2006， and has traveled more than 3 billion miles
over 9 years， becoming the first probe to reach Pluto.
It is said to be in full working condition， and has been sending back breath－taking
pictures of the planet and its moon Charon since July.
NASA has had a remarkable year.
Just two weeks ago， it announced the discovery of flowing water on the surface of Mars，
increasing the possibility of finding microscopic life on the red planet.
There was also the discovery of Kepler 452b in July， nick－named Earth 2.0， the most
Earth－like planet found till date as well as the Rosetta Spacecraft that landed the
Philae lander on the surface of a moving comet last November.
In recent years NASA has come under criticism for high costs， failed programs and intangible
benefits.
But with discoveries and pictures like these， it is helping to reawaken man′s imagination
and curiosity of the universe.
Kwon Jang－Ho， Arirang News.