CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA-Scientists have found something that is suspected as volcanoes that spew ice to the surface of Pluto, raises questions about how such a tiny planet is geologically very active, according to a study presented on Monday (9/11).
The discovery, published in the sidelines of the meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, describe Pluto and its moons as celestial bodies are more complex than expected.
"What's on Pluto surprise us," said planetary scientist Alan Stern, who works at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, told the media at a press conference conducted via webcast.
Stern led the team in charge of spacecraft NASA's "New Horizons", which passes Pluto on July 14 last.
Photographs and measurements were taken while the particles are being sent back to Earth.
About 50 reports will be presented by scientists this week illustrates the two mountains on the surface of Pluto, each the size of more than 161 kilometers in diameter, and the height of several kilometers. The mountain surface has a basin similar to the volcanoes found on Mars and Earth.
"This never before seen outside the solar system," said New Horizons scientist Oliver White, who works at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
Instead of spewing rocks, volcanic Pluto frozen water spout, and other frozen liquids such as nitrogen, ammonia or methane.
White acknowledged that the existence of volcanoes on Pluto, which is away 30 times that of the Earth is to the sun, it sounds crazy, "but that was the only thing that could explain the presence of the mountains."
"Whatever it is, really weird," said White.
Spacecraft "New Horizons" on display at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. prior to launch to the planet Pluto (Photo: dock).
Spacecraft "New Horizons" on display at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. prior to launch to the planet Pluto (Photo: dock).
Aircraft "New Horizons" also found some depressions in the surface of Pluto, the largest of more than 322 km in length. Peak basins are located 4 km from the bottom, about two times higher than the walls of the Grand Canyon.
"So many major basins in the area on Pluto indicates that the layer has undergone a lot of expansion in its history," said White.
Scientists suspect the natural decay of radioactive elements in the core of Pluto is a heat source that forms the mountain.
"New Horizons" on schedule to be back past the frozen mini-world in the "Kuiper Belt" in our solar system in the month of January 2019, the area became home Pluto, Pluto's moons, and millions of other ice objects.
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