An approximate true color image of the disk of Pluto, illuminated by the Sun from behind. The planet itself is in shadow, but it is circled by layers of glowing blue atmospheric haze.

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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 13-Mar-2023 15:32:16 UTC Robert McNees

   in reply to

   As it flew off, New Horizons caught this image of the sun illuminating Pluto's thin atmosphere. The blue tint is due to scattering of sunlight by particles called "tholins.”

   https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/637/blue-rays-new-horizons-high-res-farewell-to-pluto/

   Image: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / SwRI / Alex Parker (@ahp)