RMF 24: View of ice canyons Pluto – Interia

NASA released the latest, colored by bit image of Pluto, where they can see the ice canyons crossing the area around the pole północngo this dwarf planet. The image, sent by the probe New Horizons, shows the new face of Pluto, expanding our knowledge of the geological diversity of its surface.

Lowell Regio in the North pole Pluto

/ NASA

the North pole lies in the area called Lowell informally Regio, commemorating the figure of Percival Lowell, founder of private Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was he who initiated the research and observations that eventually led in 1930 to the discovery of Pluto by Clyde William Tombaugh.

The widest of these canyons, marked on the picture below in yellow, has a width of about 75 kilometers, parallel to it, located on the east and west (marked in green) canyons have a width of about 10 kilometers. Analysis of the images indicates that the slopes are already quite damaged, indicating a much older age, compared with ravines visible in other regions of Pluto. Maybe it makes them less resistant material.

Inside the widest canyon astronomers noticed even winding valley (in blue), similar, located further to the east marked in pink. On the right at the bottom in red indicates larger, irregular depressions, with a diameter of up to 70 kilometers and a depth of 4 to Malpensa. It is suspected that these areas had collapsed after he countered lingering under the surface of the ice.

NASA Scientists note that located above stained areas are a bit yellow, the lower, more blue. Studies carried out with the assistance of infrared sensors indicate that this region is dominated by methane ice, much less is there a nitrogen solidified. “It is possible that the yellow color to the older layers of ice methane, which no longer subject to the action of sunlight,” – says Will Grundy of Lowell Observatory.

Region Lowell Regio with marked prominent forms of land

/ NASA

picture was taken with a camera MVIC (Ralph / multispectral Visible Imaging camera), July 14, 2015 45 minutes before the moment of closest approach, when the probe new Horizons was less than 34,000 kilometers from Pluto.

Grzegorz Jasinski