Transmitted to Earth on Dec. 24, 2015, this image
from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) extends New Horizons’
highest-resolution swath of Pluto to the center of Sputnik Planum, the
informally named plain that forms the left side of Pluto’s “heart.”
Mission scientists believe the pattern of the cells stems from the slow
thermal convection of the nitrogen-dominated ices. The darker patch at
the center of the image is likely a dirty block of water ice “floating”
in denser solid nitrogen, and which has been dragged to the edge of a
convection cell. Also visible are thousands of pits in the surface,
which scientists believe may form by sublimation.
Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Download below image to see in full zoom
“X” marks the spot of some intriguing surface activity in the latest
picture of Pluto returned from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.
Transmitted to Earth on Dec. 24, this image from the Long Range
Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) extends New Horizons’ highest-resolution
views of Pluto to the very center of Sputnik Planum, the informally
named icy plain that forms the left side of Pluto’s “heart” feature.
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