The probe New Horizons captured images in high resolution of Pluto in his nine-year journey to the planet farthest from the Earth Solar System . The first came to light in the last hours and confirms what we thought. An impressive amount covers the surface of the mysterious balloon
However, the first image reveals HD plus anything . Pluto has a mountain range made entirely of ice. Something like a giant glacier peaks of 3350 meters . The photographs taken by New Horizons also possible to determine at first the geological activity is still ongoing on the planet and its satellites, Hydra and Charon .
Scientists were surprised by the permanent geological activi taking place on Pluto . The planet, according to researchers at the NASA , is still forming. “ Now I have an isolated planet showing activity after 4.5 billion years ” said Alan Stern , principal investigator for New Horizons . “ This is one of the youngest areas we’ve seen in the solar system ” added Jeff Moore Team NASA .
“ At temperatures of Pluto, ice it behaves more like rocks ” said Bill McKinnon , University of Washington , Saint Louis . This would explain that even though the planet’s surface is composed mostly of methane and nitrogen , these materials would not be enough to form the mountain range. The peaks, then they are formed by ice “ Rocky “, the scientists showed.
The NASA will now have the next 16 months to study in depth all information and images that New Horizons could capture in its galactic journey .
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