The latest discovery of NASA’s New Horizons mission reveals that Pluto is host to flowing ice that have similarities to glaciers on active worlds such as Earth and Mars.
“We knew that a mission to Pluto would bring some surprises, and now — 10 days after closest approach — we can say that our expectation has been more than surpassed,” said NASA’s associate administrator John Grunsfeld in a prepared statement. “With flowing ices, exotic surface chemistry, mountain ranges, and vast haze, Pluto is showing a diversity of planetary geology that is truly thrilling."
Images captured with New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) revealed signs of recent geologic activity on Texas-sized plain Sputnik Planum. Located on the western half of the Pluto's heart-shaped feature, an ice sheet appears to have flowed similar to glaciers on Earth and may still be actively flowing.
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“We knew that a mission to Pluto would bring some surprises, and now — 10 days after closest approach — we can say that our expectation has been more than surpassed,” said NASA’s associate administrator John Grunsfeld in a prepared statement. “With flowing ices, exotic surface chemistry, mountain ranges, and vast haze, Pluto is showing a diversity of planetary geology that is truly thrilling."
Images captured with New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) revealed signs of recent geologic activity on Texas-sized plain Sputnik Planum. Located on the western half of the Pluto's heart-shaped feature, an ice sheet appears to have flowed similar to glaciers on Earth and may still be actively flowing.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...