Thanks to the New Horizons mission, which conducted the first detailed study of Pluto in 2014, we know that Pluto's color is rather diverse, with patches of white, yellow and reddish. This is the most accurate natural color images of Pluto taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. These natural-color images result from refined calibration of data gathered by New Horizons' color Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC).
The processing creates images that would approximate the colors that the human eye would perceive, bringing them closer to "true color" than. However, keeping in mind what Pluto's real colors look like, there's no reason we can't appreciate the blue-red image as well. "This high-resolution, false color image of Pluto is my favorite.
The colour of Pluto depends on how you observe it, but New Horizons and Hubble have revealed the dwarf planet's rich typography and hues. 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.
The Discovery of Pluto's Color The discovery of Pluto's color dates back to the 1950s, when astronomers first began to study the planet using telescopes. Initially, Pluto appeared as a faint, grayish-white dot in the sky, but as technology improved, scientists were able to gather more detailed information about its color. In the 1970s, astronomers used spectroscopy to analyze the light.
What colour is Pluto? Short answer: Reddy-brown. Long answer: Before 2015 we didn't have close-up photos of Pluto and it was hard to tell exactly what colours we might find there. We did know that Pluto is generally reddish but we were very vague on the details.
When the robotic probe New Horizons flew past Pluto in 2015 it took enough photos to give us a good look the dwarf planet's colours. Pluto's surface has three primary color hues: red, white, and blue. This is due to the complex chemistry of its icy terrain and atmospheric processes.
The red areas, such as Tombaugh Regio, are caused by tholins-complex molecules formed when ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun interacts with methane (CH₄) in Pluto's thin atmosphere. These molecules then settle onto the surface. Pluto, a dwarf planet, exhibits a captivating array of colors, ranging from pale white to dark red, due to the complex interactions between its surface composition and the feeble sunlight it receives.
Nitrogen ice dominates the surface of Pluto, which is a key factor in defining its albedo or overall brightness, while methane frost contributes to the planet's distinct reddish hues. Pluto's color is predominantly reddish-brown, influenced by chemical compounds like tholins and hydrocarbons. The presence of methane on the surface gives Pluto a reddish hue, as methane absorbs blue and green light, reflecting longer wavelengths corresponding to red light.