New Pluto images puzzle scientists

Washington, July 3: NASA's New Horizon spacecraft has captured stunning coloured images of Pluto as it gets ready for a close flyby of the mysterious planet system on July 14. The images show two very different faces of the mysterious dwarf planet, one with a series of intriguing spots along the equator that are evenly-spaced. Each of the spots is about 480 km in diameter, with a surface area that is roughly the size of the state of Missouri, the US space agency said in a statement. Scientists have yet to see anything quite like the dark spots. "It's a real puzzle -- we don't know what the spots are and we cannot wait to find out," said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern. Also puzzling is the long-standing and dramatic difference in the colours and appearance of Pluto compared to its darker and greyer moon Charon. While the origin of the spots is a mystery for now, the answer may be revealed as the spacecraft continues its approach to the mysterious planet system. If Pluto has clouds, New Horizon can detect them.