Pluto’s Surface Map: Sputnik Planitia and Krun Macula Revealed in False Color #2027506 (License: Personal Use)

This composite image, created using data from NASA’s New Horizons mission, uses infrared and visible-light filters to enhance compositional differences on Pluto’s surface. The vibrant red area corresponds to Sputnik Planitia-the western lobe of Pluto’s iconic “heart”-rich in nitrogen ice, while the darker orange-red regions like Krun Macula indicate tholins and complex hydrocarbons. Numerous impact craters and tectonic features are visible across the gray background terrain.

Used in planetary science articles, educational resources, and space agency press kits to illustrate Pluto’s diverse geology post-New Horizons flyby (2015); matches user intent for learning about dwarf planet surface features or preparing astronomy presentations.