The new close-up images captured by Pluto New Horizons spacecraft NASA reveal a bewildering variety of features on the surface of the dwarf planet.
Experts astronomers planet formation never imagined that this celestial body would have so much diversity and geological complexity.
“Pluto shows us a variety of landforms and complexity of the processes that rival anything we’ve seen in the solar system, “said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern
He added:.” If an artist had painted this before our flyby Pluto probably would not have believed it, but that’s what it really is there. “
Slower updates
New Horizons began downloading the information collected during the flyby July 14th planet. It will take a year to complete this task. The quality of the images is sorpredente. While each pixel corresponds to a square 400 meters on a side.
A rugged world
These new features pevelan images as diverse as possible dunes flows nitrogen ice that apparently stem from mountainous regions and descend to some plains, valleys and even networks that may have been carved by flowing material over the surface of Pluto.
We also show large regions chaotically messy mountains reminiscent of disturbed land on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
In the coming days more images of the moons of Pluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra are expected.
unexpected Haze
The images have also revealed that the haze Pluto’s atmosphere has many layers and creates a twilight effect, which gently illuminates the ground on the far side of the planet and makes it visible to the cameras of New Horizons.
“This is a gift voucher Pluto has delivered wonderful to us. Now we can study geology on land not expected to see, “said John Spencer, Chief Scientific Officer of one of the probe instrument.
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