NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto

Scientists have found the first evidence that liquid may have flowed across Pluto’s surface in the recent past. Dark features on the enormous Sputnik Planitia glacier appear consistent with liquid nitrogen rising through cracks from deep beneath the ice. Computer models show that nitrogen could melt at the glacier’s base and travel upward like fluid through small conduits.

The finding reveals that Pluto may be much more geologically active than its frozen appearance suggests. NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto. NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto Science News from research organizations NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto Scientists have found the first evidence that liquid nitrogen may still be seeping onto Pluto’s frozen surface.

This is the first evidence of liquid flowing currently on Pluto. For scale, Pluto is about 3/4ths as wide as the continental United States. The findings provide the first evidence that liquid has flowed on Pluto in relatively recent times.

The research is based on observations from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft and was led by SwRI Associate Vice President Dr.