NASA just released a sneak peak of the first high-resolution image of Pluto

NASA just released this incredibly clear image of Pluto just minutes before its spacecraft, New Horizons, was scheduled to fly by Pluto for the first time in history.

This image shows the heart-shaped feature on the surface clearly in the southern hemisphere of the dwarf planet:

NASA

Scientists still are not sure what is responsible for the light and dark regions on Pluto, but they hope to answer that mystery within the coming months as data from New Horizons pours in.

This amazing photo is just the beginning of a forthcoming series of even clearer, better photos of Pluto, which will resolve features on the surface as small as Manhattan Island.

One thing is obvious: Pluto has a more complex surface than we could have imagined even a year ago.