The latest figures released by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft reveal more information about the distant Pluto. Now I know that the observed brighter area shaped like a heart is smooth, a vast plain, the age certainly does not exceed 100 million years. According to the researchers from NASA this region of the planet may still be geologically active. Flat area called Region Tombaugh, Clyde Tombaugh in honor who discovered Pluto in 1930.
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Outside the “heart”, also in the center of the planet is in turn icy area that the researchers tentatively named “Sputnik Plains”. It has an irregular surface composed of approx. 20-kilometer segments intersected by shallow trenches.
– The area of the planet is so far difficult to understand. The discovery of vast and geologically young surface of Pluto exceeds all our expectations, we had time to accrue in anticipation of the flyby of Pluto – says Jeff Moore, team leader of Geology, Geophysics and Imaging at New Horizons.
The American probe New Horizons July 14 flew near Pluto. During this time, he has photographed and collected data for analysis, among others, pressure and atmosphere of the dwarf planet.
Read more: HISTORICAL MEETING NEW HORIZONS of the Pluto
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