description Sputnik Planitia Overview
A broad plain of nitrogen-rich ice forms Sputnik Planitia, the western part of Pluto's heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio. The bright surface occupies a large basin, but an impact origin remains a scientific interpretation rather than an established fact. The visible ice plain should also be distinguished from the underlying structure that contains it. Its surface shows that a distant icy world can undergo geological change despite its cold environment.
Researchers examine the ice and the basin's shape to investigate how material moves and how Pluto's surface developed. Sputnik Planitia is relevant to studies of dwarf planet evolution and the behavior of volatile ices, substances that can move between solid and gaseous states. Within a crater category, it requires care: the proposed ancient basin and the geologically renewed ice covering it represent different parts of the feature's history.
help Sputnik Planitia FAQ
What is Sputnik Planitia on Pluto?
Sputnik Planitia is a massive, glacier-like plain on Pluto, composed primarily of slowly flowing nitrogen and carbon monoxide ice. It forms the western lobe of the heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio region photographed during the Pluto flyby.
Why is Sputnik Planitia located near Pluto's equator?
Scientists believe Sputnik Planitia is positioned near Pluto's tidal axis due to a positive mass anomaly. The sheer weight of the accumulated nitrogen ice caused the dwarf planet to roll over millions of years to balance its rotational axis.
Does the ice in Sputnik Planitia move?
Yes, the nitrogen ice in Sputnik Planitia behaves like a viscous fluid due to the internal heat radiating from Pluto's rocky core. The ice slowly convects, constantly upwelling and renewing the surface, which explains why the plain has virtually no impact craters.
How was Sputnik Planitia photographed?
The detailed images of Sputnik Planitia were captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. New Horizons conducted a historic, high-speed flyby of Pluto in July 2015, revealing the complex geology of the dwarf planet for the first time.
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