This is humanity's best look yet at Pluto

Earth, meet Pluto.

The photo above was taken on Monday as NASA's New Horizons probe approached Pluto; it's the closest look we've ever gotten of the dwarf planet, and it was three billion miles and nine years in the making.

Traveling at 10 miles a second, NASA's New Horizons probe successfully flew by Pluto on Tuesday at 7:59 a.m. EST. It then lost contact with Earth, and isn't expected to say "mission accomplished" until about 9 p.m. EST. As it journeys around the dwarf planet, it will be collecting data and photos, which Earth should receive by Wednesday afternoon (it takes approximately four and a half hours just to transfer data back to Earth). Think of the above as NASA's teaser.

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