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    Pluto’s Ocean Reveals a Salty Subsurface Surprise

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    Beneath the icy surface of the distant dwarf planet Pluto, a vast ocean likely exists, and new studies suggest that this subsurface sea may be surprisingly dense and salty, a veritable alien “Dead Sea.”

    Close-up of the Planet Pluto
    Photo by ZCH on Pexels

    Researchers have used a combination of mathematical modeling and data from NASA’s historic New Horizons mission to reach these startling conclusions.

    New Pluto Images from NASA’s New Horizons: It’s Complicated” by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Planetary scientists had long dismissed the possibility of an ocean on Pluto, given its frigid surface temperatures—minus 220 degrees Celsius—and its small size, which implied that it would have lost its heat long ago. “Pluto is a small body,” remarked Alex Nguyen, a Ph.D. student at Washington University in St. Louis. “It should have lost almost all of its heat shortly after it was formed, so basic calculations would suggest that it’s frozen solid to its core.”

    Pluto on a black background
    Photo by NASA on Unsplash

    However, recent evidence, including observations of cryovolcanoes spewing ice and water vapor, has led to a consensus that Pluto indeed cradles an ocean beneath its frozen exterior.

    Pluto and Charon” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    The New Horizons spacecraft, which passed by Pluto in 2015, provided high-resolution images that have been crucial for scientists piecing together this puzzle.

    Pluto ‘Paints’ its Largest Moon Red” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    Nguyen, alongside Dr. Patrick McGovern of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, developed models to explain the strange features on Pluto’s icy shell, such as the cracks and bulges observed over the Sputnik Platina basin—an area impacted by a meteor billions of years ago.

    The Pluto shot from space
    The Pluto shot from space

    These models suggest that the ocean lies beneath a 40 to 80 km thick water ice shell, which may act as an insulating blanket against the freezing cold of space.

    First Ever High Resolution View of Pluto’s Surface” by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Fascinatingly, the team has estimated the density of Pluto’s ocean to be approximately 8% denser than Earth’s seawater, akin to the salinity found in Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

    New Pluto Images from NASA’s New Horizons: It’s Complicated” by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Such salinity levels are consistent with the number of surface fractures—too few for a significantly denser ocean and too many for a less dense one. “This level of density would explain the abundance of fractures seen on the surface,” Nguyen stated.

    Icy Dunes on Pluto Reveal a Diverse and Dynamic Dwarf Planet” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    The study also resolves the mystery of Pluto’s apparent expansion rather than contraction. A completely frozen ocean would have led to a global shrinking effect, which isn’t evident on Pluto’s surface.

    NASA’s Hubble Telescope Finds Potential Kuiper Belt Targets for New Horizons Pluto Mission” by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    Noah Hammond, a graduate student from Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, explained, “A subsurface ocean that was slowly freezing over would cause this kind of expansion.”

    Stunning Nightside Image Reveals Pluto’s Hazy Skies” by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

    This revelation not only reshapes our understanding of Pluto but also raises intriguing possibilities about the outer solar system. “The possibility that you could have vast liquid water ocean habitats so far from the sun on Pluto—and that the same could also be possible on other Kuiper belt objects as well—is absolutely incredible,” said Hammond, suggesting that these distant worlds might be more dynamic and complex than previously imagined.

    Pluto’s Brilliant ‘Heart’” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    Despite these findings, space agencies have no immediate plans to revisit Pluto, leaving many of its secrets to future generations. Yet, the allure of its hidden ocean and its potential implications for astrobiology continue to captivate scientists and enthusiasts alike.

    pluto, solar system, planet
    Photo by AdisResic on Pixabay

    Pluto’s status as a planet has been a contentious topic since its demotion to a dwarf planet in 2006, following the discovery of other similar-sized objects in its neighborhood, the Kuiper Belt. Its complex and diverse surface features, as revealed by New Horizons, have only fueled the debate and fascination.

    New Horizons 3-billion-mile Journey to Pluto Reaches Historic #plutoflyby!” by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

    While the salinity and presence of Pluto’s subsurface ocean are revelations in planetary science, their implications stretch far beyond. They suggest that even in the cold, remote reaches of our solar system, worlds like Pluto might harbor the conditions necessary for extraordinary forms of existence—a tantalizing thought for those who gaze at the stars and wonder what lies beyond our own planet Earth.

    Relevant articles:
    Pluto’s Subsurface Ocean is 8% Denser than Seawater on Earth, Study Suggests, sci.news
    Peering into Pluto’s ocean, EurekAlert!
    Present-day subsurface ocean on Pluto?, ScienceDaily
    Pluto — Everything you need to know about the dwarf planet, space.com

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