Another surprising discovery in the system Pluto – Interia

New Horizons probe has detected two potential kriowulkany on Pluto. While the two small moons of the dwarf planet formed as a result of packing of smaller objects.

Two potential kriowulkany on Pluto

/ NASA

The probe New Horizons detected on Charon crater, whose age can be very young. Read more

Before passage of the probe New Horizons (NH) next to Pluto, some scientists believed that the dwarf planet may be similar to Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. Triton, closely observed by Voyager 2 in 1989, was very active geology. On the surface of the moon were detected many kriowulkanów who threw frozen nitrogen and dust up to a height of 8 km.

Flight NH next to Pluto did not detect any traces of similar activity to that first noticed on Triton. This was a surprise because it was expected that the two objects have similar origins. Since the flight was sought on new images of Pluto traces kriowulkanizmu.

The ninth conference November at the Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences, organized by the American Astronomical Society, announced the detection of two potential candidates for plutońskie kriowulkany. These mountains were given informal names of Wright Mons (less kriowulkan) and Picard Mons (greater kriowulkan). Both formations are located south of “Sputnik Planum”, which is part of the famous “heart” on the surface of Pluto. It is without a doubt one of the newest areas on Pluto.

They are completely different formations in comparison with those registered on Triton. Two potential kriowulkany detected on Pluto are close together and are characterized by large size. Smaller Wright Mons has a diameter of about 160 km and a height of about 4 km. On the other hand Picard Mons is almost two times higher mountain. Both potential kriowulkany have central depressions that resemble craters of volcanoes.

So far, the status of Wright Mons and Picard Mons is a “potential kriowulkany.” Further analysis of the data, including and those who have not yet received from NH, should explain the nature of the geological formations.

In addition, analysis of the images of the surface of Pluto was another surprising results. Some of the areas that the dwarf planet seem to be very old (age approx. 4 billion years), and others are very young (even just 10 million years). There are also areas of ‘indirect’ age. This is so far a big puzzle for researchers, who were expecting a similar age all areas on Pluto.

In addition, the new analysis of data on smaller moons of Pluto suggests the rise as a result of packing of the smaller objects. This means that in the past around Pluto circulated more small moons. Interestingly, the turnover of small moons of Pluto seems to be very chaotic – probably Charon affect the movement. Record-holder – the moon Hydra – rotate as many as 89 times around its own axis during one revolution around Pluto and Charon.

NH is moving now toward the asteroid 2014 MU69. Scientists are trying to find out – eg by observing the size and number of craters on Charon and Pluto – as far as 2014 MU69 may be representative of an object in the Kuiper Belt. So far, Pluto was detected over a thousand craters.