The latest data sent to the machine New Horizons from the outskirts of the solar system, have allowed scientists to make perhaps the most important discovery since the arrival of the machine to Pluto. Scientists believe that this frozen dwarf planet that is 30 times farther from the Sun than the Earth,
also has volcanoes, so – and geologic activity.
Despite the fact that the first scientific results of the mission had already been published in a scientific journal about new discoveries became known not from the publications and of the reports presented at the beginning of Maryland 47 annual meeting of the American Astronomical society.
Ice Volcanoes
In analyzing the submitted probe images the researchers found that on top of at least two of the mountains near the south pole of Pluto – Wright Mons and Piccard Mons – there are hollows, characteristic volcanoes. Both peaks are several kilometers in height and of at least 100 kilometers in diameter, in the form they reminded scientists volcanoes in Hawaii.
However, unlike Earth, volcanoes on Pluto is not ejected molten lava and ash
a mixture of frozen substances likely – nitrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide and ice porridge ice, resting inside the planet.
According to Jeff Moore of the Ames Research Center, scientists are not yet sure one hundred percent that these mountains are volcanoes, “but they look very suspicious».
If the assumption is confirmed, it will be the first discovery of volcanoes in the outer region of the solar system. Confirming the hypothesis can come after analyzing the composition of the surface close to the mountains, which is still to be done. Scientists remind us that the machine New Horizons continues to transmit to Earth the collected data and pictures,
today handed over only one-fifth of the information received.
However, some scientists from the mission team has no doubts in the opening. “When you see a huge mountain with a hole at the top, it says only one thing. It’s hard not to see here the volcanoes “- says Oliver Wight from Ames.
According to geologists, heat sources for cryovolcanism on Pluto, as on Earth, is the decay of radioactive elements in the interior of the planet.
Floating Mountain
According to the scientists, the mountains on Pluto are composed primarily of water ice, as if they are floating in a sea of frozen nitrogen. In some areas, these mountains are comparable in size to the Rocky Mountains, but they are sufficiently “floating” in order to rise above the surrounding terrain. “Even the largest mountains of Pluto could simply float” – said Moore in his presentation.
Near the western extremity of the ice field, called the Plain of Sputnik (Sputnik Planum), seen huge cracked layers of water ice mixed with each other. Piled up the hill angular blocks, some of which reach a length of 40 kilometers, Moore called “anarchic territory».
Data show that this relief was formed only about 10 million years ago.
«It’s almost yesterday. It is surprising that such a small planet can be active on a large scale of time. Billions of years later, after the birth, “- said the scientist.
Hidden Ocean
If one area of Pluto flat and smooth, others are covered with cracks and resemble snakeskin. It looks like Virgil Foss area west of the Plains satellite. Scientists believe that these cracks were obtained as hardening of the internal ocean and its expansion – a phenomenon familiar to all from childhood from the observation of the freezing water.
«Gradually the cooling and freezing ocean leads to an expansion,” – said Bill MacKinnon from the University of St. Lewis.
satellite snowmen
Observations of four small satellites of Pluto – Hydra, nobody, Kerber and Nicks – have shown that the most likely earlier satellites had more. It turned out that Cerberus and Hydra look like,
if they are stuck in the past of the two colliding objects, just as there was utkopodobnaya comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
«Once upon a time in the past was more than four small satellites, there were at least six,” – said Mark Showalter of the Institute SETI. Striking scientists and the high-speed rotation of the satellites, the record belongs to Hydra, which makes a full rotation in 10 hours in all.
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