Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Ice Volcanoes and Other New Pluto Findings

posted by martyb on Friday November 13 2015, @05:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the let's-go-skiing! dept.

hubie writes:

Evidence for the existence of ice volcanoes and other exciting findings were presented at the annual meeting for the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. The potential volcanoes showed up when stereo images were made using images from the New Horizons flyby taken from different vantage points. The stereo images made it possible to determine the height and breadth of the mounds, which are several kilometers tall. The stereo images showed that the depressions on top of the mounds are too deep to be craters and are more akin to volcano calderas. In addition, the mounds show an absence of craters which is consistent with material being ejected from them.

Also presented was an analysis of the density distribution of craters, which suggests that Pluto has been geologically active over its lifetime. In addition, there appears to be a dearth of smaller craters on Pluto and Charon that may indicate that Kuiper Belt objects formed "as-is" and not via the accumulation of smaller objects, as is currently thought.

In fact, the evidence that many Kuiper Belt objects could have been "born large" has scientists excited that New Horizons' next potential target – the 30-mile-wide (40-50 kilometer wide) KBO named 2014 MU69 – which may offer the first detailed look at just such a pristine, ancient building block of the solar system.

Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Ice Volcanoes and Other New Pluto Findings | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 6 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Saturday November 14 2015, @06:54AM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday November 14 2015, @06:54AM (#263104) Journal

    And that one thing is - -- -wait for it!--- Ice lava! Do you realize the winter sports tourism opportunities this brings up! "Ski Ice Lava on Pluto! Tell your Friends!" (Breathable atmosphere not provided). Looks like we have the altitude, and at Pluto gravity, just jump, no lift is necessary!

    But seriously, the New Horizons mission has returned far more than expected, and like real science, much that was unexpected [Like Ice Volcanoes on Pluto! Tell your Friends!], and has inspired a whole new generation. Especially those who were ticked off as third graders and sent hate-mail to Neil deGrasse-Tyson, so we have hope for the future.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 14 2015, @02:54PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 14 2015, @02:54PM (#263264)

    You are not accounting for the ice giants. Your skier tourists will be eaten.