NASA’s New Horizons mission has captured some fascinating images of Pluto, including the so-called “icebergs” or “icebergs” on the planet. The images were taken in 2015 when New Horizons became the first space probe to fly by Pluto. Here are some highlights of the discoveries about the icebergs on Pluto:
Sputnik Planitia: This region is part of the larger “heart”-shaped region called Tombaugh Regio, and contains a large plain of nitrogen ice where “icebergs” have been spotted. These icebergs are thought to consist of water ice, which is lighter than the surrounding nitrogen ice and therefore floats and migrates.
Geological activity: The icebergs and the plane of Sputnik Planitia indicate that Pluto is geologically active. This is surprising, as it was originally assumed that such a small and cold planet would have no geological activity.
Ice layers and structures: The layers of nitrogen and methane ice on the surface of Sputnik Planitia often form unusual structures that look like a mixture of convective cells and glaciers. This suggests that the ice in Sputnik Planitia is continuously renewed and moves slowly.
Collision and dynamics: The “icebergs” consist of blocks of water ice that move like rafts in the nitrogen ice of the Sputnik Planitia plain. They can even collide and form larger structures. This movement is an indication of thermal convection, where the ice is driven by heat from Pluto’s interior.
The photos from New Horizons showed Pluto in a whole new light and changed our understanding of this icy dwarf planet.
