A new trans-Neptunian object, 2017 OF201, has been found with a vast orbit and potential…
Browsing: Pluto
Pluto is a dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune, and was once considered the ninth planet in the solar system until its reclassification by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. Despite its small size and distant orbit, Pluto has captivated scientists and the public alike, especially following NASA’s New Horizons flyby in 2015, which revealed a surprisingly dynamic world with towering ice mountains, vast nitrogen glaciers, and a possible subsurface ocean. Pluto’s complex geology and thin atmosphere challenge previous assumptions about what small, icy bodies can be, making it a focal point in the study of planetary formation and the diversity of worlds in our solar system.
Pluto’s haze is real, its atmosphere is wild, and its moon is stealing its breath—literally.…
Recent simulations link the creation of Pluto and its moon Charon to a colossal impact,…
Pluto and Charon’s origin story has been rewritten by a recent study, revealing they formed…
Scientists have detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the frozen surface of Pluto’s largest…
Graduate student Alex Nguyen calculated the depth and density of the solar system’s most mysterious…
The mystery of how Pluto got a giant heart-shaped feature on its surface has finally…
New evidence shows Pluto’s atmosphere is now shrinking and refreezing as it moves away from…
Methane snow on Pluto forms only on high peaks that reach methane-rich atmospheric layers, creating…
Like Earth, the dwarf planet of Pluto has mountains. Like their earthly cousins, some of…
The mountains discovered on Pluto during the New Horizons spacecraft’s flyby of the dwarf planet…
Evidence Supports ‘Hot Start’ Scenario and Early Ocean Formation on Pluto A new study suggests…
When the New Horizons spacecraft passed by Pluto in 2015, one of the many fascinating…
A “beating heart” of frozen nitrogen controls Pluto’s winds and may give rise to features…
Computer simulations provide compelling evidence that an insulating layer of gas hydrates could keep a…
The reason Pluto lost its planet status is not valid, according to new research from…
Before NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew through the Pluto system in July 2015, many New…
Newly discovered dunes on Pluto tell us the dwarf planet’s geology and atmosphere is far…