Friday, February 26, 2016

Pluto's North Pole


The north polar region of Pluto, informally named Lowell Regio (for Percival Lowell), has long canyons that run vertically through this area.  In the image below, the widest canyon is about 45 miles across, with the actual North Pole indicated on the map.

The areas in red show pits where subsurface ice may have melted or sublimated from below, collapsing the ground above. 

The lines in blue and pink show winding valleys.  This image was taken by the New Horizons spacecraft from about 21,100 miles from the surface on July 14, 2015.




http://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-frozen-canyons-of-pluto-s-north-pole

No comments: