Pluto - The Dwarf Planet with a Heart-Shaped Ice Plain | NASA Images #3237136 (License: Personal Use)

This image shows Pluto’s global view, dominated by the vast, smooth nitrogen-ice plain known as Sputnik Planitia-the left lobe of the heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio. Surrounding regions display rugged highlands, dark equatorial belts rich in tholins, and possible cryovolcanic features like Wright Mons. The contrast between bright icy plains and dark, ancient terrain highlights Pluto’s surprising geological activity despite its distance from the Sun.

Used on astronomy, space exploration, and educational websites to illustrate Pluto’s surface features post-New Horizons flyby; matches user intent for learning about dwarf planets, planetary science, or NASA missions.