NASA has amazed us in the past few months by releasing some never-before-seen photos of Pluto and claiming the dwarf planet to be one of the most similar planets to earth found thus far.

Geoffrey Lovelace, a Cal State Fullerton assistant professor of physics and involved, wanted to know about Pluto since childhood. And New Horizons has finally helped him a lot to gain insight into the planet.

Lovelace, who is involved in CSUF’s Gravitational Wave Physics and Astronomy Center, is of the belief that understanding of Pluto will open new avenues for modern society, especially for future generations.

Scientists can better predict the behavior of earth, by understanding how Pluto behaves in the solar system. “There might be some surprises we haven’t discovered yet. By learning about Pluto, we can learn more about a part of the solar system that is largely unexplored. This can help us understand things about how the solar system was formed”, he said.

The recent images of Pluto have already helped experts discover flowing ices on its surface in addition to its natural color and changing atmosphere.

Lovelace says that it’s a great achievement for humanity to see something so far away that no human being has ever been able to before.

NASA is not only focused on building rockets and sending them to the international space station (ISS), but also helping us understand the long-unraveled mysteries of the solar system. Some images of Pluto captured by New Horizons have provided evidence of water on the planet as well.