Coming attractions: 1st close-up pictures of Pluto

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.