In the
center left of Pluto’s vast heart-shaped feature – informally named
“Tombaugh Regio” - lies a vast, craterless plain that appears to be no
more than 100 million years old, and is possibly still being shaped by
geologic processes. This frozen region is north of Pluto’s icy mountains
and has been informally named Sputnik Planum (Sputnik Plain), after
Earth’s first artificial satellite.
This
simulated flyover of Pluto’s Norgay Montes (Norgay Mountains) and
Sputnik Planum (Sputnik Plain) was created from New Horizons
closest-approach images. Norgay Montes have been informally named for
Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two humans to reach the summit of Mount
Everest. Sputnik Planum is informally named for Earth’s first
artificial satellite. The images were acquired by the Long Range
Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on July 14 from a distance of 48,000 miles
(77,000 kilometers). Features as small as a half-mile (1 kilometer)
across are visible. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI
Source - NASA
