Methane distribution on Pluto as mapped by the New Horizons Ralph/MVIC instrument

•Presents maps of methane equivalent width (of the 890 nm band) and spectral slope based on data from the New Horizons Ralph/MVIC instrument.•Plutoś surface shows a diverse and complicated distribution of methane abundance and colors.•The broadest diversity occurs between 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South.•Equivalent Width shows some dependence on elevation, while spectral slope does not. The data returned from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft have given us an unprecedented, detailed look at the Pluto system. New Horizons' Ralph/MVIC (Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera) is composed of 7 independent CCD arrays on a single substrate. Among these are a red channel (540–700 nm), near-infrared channel (780–975 nm), and narrow band methane channel (860–910 nm). By comparing the relative reflectance of these channels we are able to produce high-resolution methane “equivalent width” (based on the 890 nm absorption band) and spectral slope maps of Pluto’s surface. From these maps we can then quantitatively study the relationships between methane distribution, redness, and other parameters like latitude and elevation. We find Pluto’s surface to show a great diversity of terrains, particularly in the equatorial region between 30°N and 30°S latitude. Methane “equivalent width” also shows some dependence on elevation (while spectral slope shows very little).