New Horizons reveals Pluto’s atmosphere and ice streams – 3 Photos
“My jaw almost touched the ground when I saw the first picture of an atmosphere of a body Kuiper Belt, exclaimed Alan Stern who heads the mission in SwRI (Southwest Research Institute) . This reminds us that space exploration brings us more than amazing discoveries, it gives us incredible beauty. ” Long appeared blurred images of the largest terrestrial and space telescopes, Pluto now has a face thanks to the images transmitted to the dropper by New Horizons. At a rate of one or two kilobits per second, it will still sixteen long months to transfer some 50 gigabits of scientific data collected during the hours that preceded and followed the historical overview of the dwarf planet, July 14, 2015 . The mission team made well, in small steps and with unprecedented resolution, a new portrait of the former ninth planet of the solar system. The discoveries accumulate.
“Pluto images are spectacular, said John Grunsfeld (Associate Administrator for Science Mission Directorate at NASA), opening the last . presentation of results to the media, July 24 We knew that a mission to Pluto bring surprises, but now – 10 days after the closest approach of its surface – we can say that our expectations were surpassed. With flowing ice, exotic chemistry on the surface of the mountain ranges and vast mists, Pluto shows a really exciting diverse planetary geology. “
Before saying goodbye to Pluto, the New Horizons probe was programmed to photograph Pluto against the light in order to highlight its atmospheric envelope. The image was acquired at 2 million km of the dwarf planet, seven hours after the historical overview of 14 July. The mission team received and discovery July 23. © NASA JHUAPL, SwRI
Vapours up to 130 km altitude
During the press conference, and Alan Stern his team unveiled the atmosphere of the dwarf planet. It was photographed against the light by the telescope Lorri ( Long Range Reconnaissance Imager ) seven hours after the flyover closer. The researchers did not hide their surprise at discovering vapors rising to 130 km above the surface. “It’s five times more than what was expected,” said Michael Summers ( George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia), recalling that this was more 25 years that researchers are studying the atmosphere of Pluto and model the processes that sustain it. “Now we can see it! There are layers of mist and this shows us the structures and the weather. There is a layer about 50 km and another around 80 km above the surface. “
“These mists detected on the image [see above, Ed] he continued are a key element in the creation of complex hydrocarbon compounds that give the surface of Pluto its reddish hue. “ Indeed, the developed models predict that ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks the methane molecules in the upper atmosphere. This causes the formation of ethylene and acetylene that New Horizons has also detected. Falling and cooling in the lower layers of the atmosphere, these hydrocarbons are condensed into ice and form the observed haze. Then, solar radiation converts into tholins are liable for dark colors of this little world of 2370 km in diameter.
South of the area named Sputnik, in the plain of Tombaugh region are ice lined by cells mountains of Hillary and Norgay (probably made of water ice). They insinuate themselves into the impact craters still visible in the dark and oldest in the equatorial belt region. One of them, partially filled , extends over 50 km. © NASA JHUAPL, SwRI
Recent ice that slide like land glaciers
Other marvels unveiled Friday July 24:. new detailed images of the plain called Sputnik, located in the western part of the “Heart”, now named Tombaugh region ( Tombaugh Regio ) Researchers have described a moving surface with Ice layers that seem to flow. “We had only seen surfaces like these in active worlds like Earth and Mars,” told their subjects John Spencer (SwRI). Images and spectra collected by the instrument Ralph demonstrate relatively new and unique ice deposits of carbon monoxide. Ice nitrogen and methane was also detected in varying proportions.
As already mentioned, the glacial plain appears relatively young (up to 100 million years) as not an impact crater is visible. The few that are observed on the edge, south of the region overflown by New Horizons. We discovered the partially filled with ice … “In the southern region of the Heart, adjacent to the dark equatorial regions, and very old cratered terrains were more invaded by new ice deposits” commented the deputy head of the geology and geophysical team of the mission, Bill McKinnon (Washington University of St. Louis). “At the Pluto minimum temperature of – 234 ° C, these lenses may slide like a glacier” .
The atmosphere, mainly composed of nitrogen, Pluto escapes continuously, and that since its origins, there are 4.5 billion years. His Heart bleeds ice. Researchers still do not know how this happens. These observations demonstrate again an active and complex world that is constantly changing throughout its seasons, wedged on its orbit over 247 years. Pluto has so nothing of a body frozen by the cold that reigns in this region of the solar system, asleep or off, as you might imagine it.
The world seen by Pluto New Horizons – 29 Photos
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