Pluton Planet
Snapped on July 7 from a distance of 5 million miles, this image shows a closer view of Pluto's bright "heart" shape, which may be a big patch of fresh frost, as well as a darker "whale" shape that scientists think might be made from burnt hydrocarbons. NASA-JHUAPL-SWRI
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Pluto is coming into focus so fast we can almost taste it. It tastes cold.

But that’s beside the point. It turns out that along with the cameras and high-speed instruments, the New Horizons spacecraft set to fly past the former planet on July 14 is also carrying to Pluto a highly outdated piece of technology. A compact disc (yes, a CD) with your name on it.

Well, it might have your name on it. It might have your name on it if one day, back in 2005 you came across a submission form from NASA that asked you to be part of the “First Mission To The Last Planet,” and you were one of the 434,738 people to sign up to have your name recorded on a CD and shot into space.

These guys did:

Elon Musk Certificate

Elon Musk Certificate

Bill Nye Certificate

Bill Nye Certificate

Neil Armstrong Certificate

Neil Armstrong Certificate

Did you? You can check on NASA’s website. And if you’re one of the lucky ones, you can print out a certificate to shove in your friends faces when New Horizons flies by next week.

[H/T: Philip Bump]