NASA Unveils Stunning New Image Of Pluto's Crescent

Another stunning image of Pluto has been released to the public by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This time, the dramatic black-and-white photo presents a more complete view of the dwarf planet's crescent than the one released by the space agency in September.

The image was captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft at a distance of 11,000 miles from Pluto, during its closest encounter with the dwarf planet on July 14. At the time, the probe had its back to the dwarf planet and was turned toward the Sun.

New Horizons made use of the Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) to snap this fascinating photo, just one of the many images of Pluto being retrieved by the space agency.

"The wide-angle perspective of this view shows the deep haze layers of Pluto's atmosphere extending all the way around Pluto," stated NASA.

Pluto's "rugged plateaus" are also captured in the silhouette, but a detailed look at the planet's atmosphere and surface also offers a glimpse into the mountains surrounding Sputnik Planum's icy plains. The majestic mountains of the dwarf planet also reach 11,000 feet high. These include Hillary Montes and Norgay Montes. "Below (east) of Sputnik, rougher terrain is cut by apparent glaciers."

While the dwarf planet is wrapped up in a mysterious shroud of fog and covered in "exotic ices," as NASA suggests, such revelations point to evidence of a water cycle similar to what is seen on Earth. The only difference, the space agency explains, is that these ices are made of methane and nitrogen.

"In addition to being visually stunning," remarked Will Grundy, lead of the New Horizons Composition team, "These low-lying hazes hint at the weather changing from day to day on Pluto, just like it does here on Earth."

Perhaps the most fascinating discovery about Pluto in recent times is the fact that many of its geological and hydrological processes are "surprisingly Earth-like."

The influx of data on Pluto's hazy atmosphere, terrain, glaciers, weather patterns and frozen nitrogen streams has been called a "scientific bonanza" by the space agency.

This also doesn't stop many scientists from taking a break just to enjoy the view.