Pluto, planet with peaks of ice as big as the Rockies
THE first close-up images ever seen of Pluto were released last night, showing dramatic 11,000ft ice mountains as high as the Rockies.
But there is no sign of any impact craters, indicating that the dwarf planet’s surface is relatively young.
The mountains are believed to have formed no more than 100million years ago – mere youngsters relative to the 4.56billion-year-old solar system. That suggests the region they are in, which covers less than 1 per cent of Pluto’s surface, may still be geologically active today, according to Nasa. The long-awaited images were unveiled yesterday in Maryland, home to mission operations for Nasa’s £461million New Horizons spacecraft which swept within 7,700 miles of Pluto on Tuesday, becoming the planet’s first visitor in its existence.
Scientists didn’t know until Tuesday night, when the spacecraft ‘phoned home’, that the encounter was a success.
High resolution images were also taken of Charon, Pluto’s largest moon. There is a canyon estimated to be four to six miles deep, plus a range of cliffs and troughs stretching about 600 miles from left to right.
Again, there is a lack of craters, suggesting a relatively young surface that has been reshaped by geologic activity.
The pictures come from nearly three billion miles away after New Horizons’ epic nine-year mission to reach the planet.
Pluto has been shown to have a surprising Mars-like reddish hue, with an enigmatic heart-shaped feature on its surface.
New Horizons is carrying with it the ashes of the astronomer who discovered the remote icy object in 1930.