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Coming attractions: 1st close-up pictures of Pluto

This July 13, 2015 image provided by NASA shows Pluto, seen from the New Horizons spacecraft. The United States is now the only nation to visit every single planet in the solar system. Pluto was No. 9 in the lineup when New Horizons departed Cape Canaveral, Fla, on Jan. 19, 2006 (NASA via AP)
This July 13, 2015 image provided by NASA shows Pluto, seen from the New Horizons spacecraft. The United States is now the only nation to visit every single planet in the solar system. Pluto was No. 9 in the lineup when New Horizons departed Cape Canaveral, Fla, on Jan. 19, 2006 (NASA via AP) This July 13, 2015 image provided by NASA shows Pluto, seen from the New Horizons spacecraft. The United States is now the only nation to visit every single planet in the solar system. Pluto was No. 9 in the lineup when New Horizons departed Cape Canaveral, Fla, on Jan. 19, 2006 (NASA via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – If you think Tuesday’s flyby of Pluto was big, just wait until the pictures start rolling in.

That’s the word from scientists who plan to release the long-awaited images Wednesday afternoon. They’ll be Pluto’s first-ever close-ups.

New Horizons already has provided the best pictures ever taken of Pluto, a dwarf planet way out on the edge of the solar system, 3 billion miles from Earth. Those views came during the spacecraft’s final approach toward Pluto.

But the best highest-resolution pictures were snapped as New Horizons swept within 7,700 miles of Pluto on Tuesday morning. Scientists didn’t know until Tuesday night – when New Horizons phoned home – that the unprecedented encounter was a success.

It will take 16 months to beam down all the data.