In the depths of Pluto may be a liquid ocean – NASA – Mirror of the Week

From today, the station moved to New Horizons “slow” phase data, including geological information that will help clarify the issue.

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Geological Activity Pluto has forced scientists to think

Scientists have not ruled out the possibility that under the surface Pluto can be a liquid ocean, whose existence the researchers see the manifestations of geological activity on the surface of the dwarf planet.

This was stated by participants of the scientific team interplanetary probe New Horizons Bill McKinnon at a press conference at the headquarters of NASA.

“We can not precisely calculate the mass of Pluto, but some indirect evidence suggests that it is not as dense as it is expected. This makes us suspect, and I stress that this is only a hypothesis that under the surface of Pluto might be hiding a liquid ocean “, – explained the scientist.

So far, New Horizons passed the station to Earth, only 5% of the data collected during the transit time through the system Pluto, and so far there are no scientific arguments in favor of or against this theory.

As explained by Alan Stern, a research head of a mission to the space station today turned into “slow” phase data , including the geological information that will help clarify the issue.

New Horizons – automatic interplanetary station NASA, launched in the framework of the “New Frontier” (New Frontiers) and intended for the study of Pluto and its natural satellite Charon.

Running implemented on 19 January 2006, with a span of Jupiter (and the gravitational maneuver in its gravitational field) in 2007 and Pluto – in 2015. After the flyby of Pluto unit may explore one of the objects Kuiper Belt. Complete the mission station New Horizons is designed for 15-17 years.

New Horizons space probe left Earth’s vicinity with the greatest of all the spacecraft velocity. At shut down, it was 16.26 km / s (relative to the Earth). Heliocentric speed of 45 km / s, which would allow the station to leave the New Horizons of the solar system, even without the gravitational maneuver near Jupiter.

It was reported earlier that the New Horizons July 14 has completed its mission, reaching the minimum distance to Pluto ( about 12.5 million kilometers) and flown past him. He transferred to Earth latest and most accurate picture of the planet’s surface , which was made before the closest approach to the planet, and has been published in Instagram NASA.

According to the materials: RIA Novosti