Space
Pluto's Heart Has Icy, Frozen Plains and Troughs, NASA New Horizons Reveals
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jul 20, 2015 08:15 AM EDT
Scientists have taken a closer look at the "heart" of Pluto and have found that it's a geologically active area that's no more than 100 million years old. Not only that, but there's a frozen region north of Pluto's icy mountains that may revealing some surprising new insights into the tiny planet.
The ice plains region resembles frozen mud cracks on Earth. It's been informally named "Sputnik Planum" after the Earth's first artificial satellite. It has a broken surface of irregularly-shaped segments, roughly 12 miles across, bordered by what appear to be shallow troughs. Some of these troughs have darker material within them while others are traced by clumps of hills that appear to rise above the surrounding terrain.
So how did these segments form? The irregular shapes may be the result of the contraction of surface materials, similar to what happens when mud dries. Alternatively, they may be a produce of convection, similar to wax rising in a lava lamp. On Pluto, convection would occur within a surface layer of frozen carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen, driven by the scant warmth of Pluto's interior.
Pluto's icy plains also have dark streaks that are a few miles long. These streaks may have been caused by winds blowing across the frozen surface.
The new data reveals a bit more about the geology of Pluto. Not only is this a dynamic world, but it may tell scientists a bit more about planet formation in general.
Related Stories
Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon, Has Startling Details on Its Surface
Pluto: Is It a Planet? Scientist States that Planet-Declaring is Arbitrary in Nature
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
More on SCIENCEwr
First Posted: Jul 20, 2015 08:15 AM EDT
Scientists have taken a closer look at the "heart" of Pluto and have found that it's a geologically active area that's no more than 100 million years old. Not only that, but there's a frozen region north of Pluto's icy mountains that may revealing some surprising new insights into the tiny planet.
The ice plains region resembles frozen mud cracks on Earth. It's been informally named "Sputnik Planum" after the Earth's first artificial satellite. It has a broken surface of irregularly-shaped segments, roughly 12 miles across, bordered by what appear to be shallow troughs. Some of these troughs have darker material within them while others are traced by clumps of hills that appear to rise above the surrounding terrain.
So how did these segments form? The irregular shapes may be the result of the contraction of surface materials, similar to what happens when mud dries. Alternatively, they may be a produce of convection, similar to wax rising in a lava lamp. On Pluto, convection would occur within a surface layer of frozen carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen, driven by the scant warmth of Pluto's interior.
Pluto's icy plains also have dark streaks that are a few miles long. These streaks may have been caused by winds blowing across the frozen surface.
The new data reveals a bit more about the geology of Pluto. Not only is this a dynamic world, but it may tell scientists a bit more about planet formation in general.
Related Stories
Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon, Has Startling Details on Its Surface
Pluto: Is It a Planet? Scientist States that Planet-Declaring is Arbitrary in Nature
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone