Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Pluto has floating hills




The vast plain, informally named Sputnik Planum within Pluto’s ‘heart' is host to a mysterious phenomenon of 'floating' hills.  Images from Pluto suggest that the mountains are composed of water ice floating on denser nitrogen-dominated ice and move like icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean.

As they flow along convection movements, they accumulate in a feature informally named Challenger Colles – honoring the crew of the lost space shuttle.

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-s-mysterious-floating-hills

No comments: