Like other Kuiper belt objects, Pluto is made primarily of ice and rock and is much smaller than the inner planets. Pluto has roughly one-sixth the mass of the Moon and one-third of its volume. Originally considered a planet, its status was changed when astronomers adopted a new definition of the word with new criteria.. The mission's first map of Pluto is in approximate true color—that is, the color you would see if you were riding on New Horizons. At left, a map of Pluto's northern hemisphere composed using high-resolution black-and-white images from New Horizons LORRI instrument.
True Colors of Pluto This is the most accurate natural color image of Pluto taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. The diversity of geologic landforms on Pluto's surface rivals that of Mars.. Read More Explore the true color version of Pluto's giant moon, Charon. More about New Horizons, the first mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. More about Pluto, the best known world in the Kuiper Belt. More on the Kuiper Belt, a vast ring of icy debris beyond the orbit of Neptune.