Pluto's secrets are being unraveled! Astronomers have found convincing evidence of a massive ocean of liquid water hidden beneath the dwarf planet's icy surface.&nbsp;

This exciting discovery, published in Icarus, offers new insights into the makeup of this distant world.

<h2>What lies beneath the ice in the ocean?</h2>

This new research was led by Alex Nguyen, a graduate student in Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Nguyen and his team used mathematical models and images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft to investigate Pluto’s subsurface ocean.

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The research co-authored by Patrick McGovern of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston,&nbsp;sheds light on a long-standing debate about the possibility of liquid water on Pluto.

<h2>Pluto is not just a frozen rock</h2>

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. Initially recognised as the ninth planet in our solar system, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified it as a dwarf planet in 2006.&nbsp;

Pluto orbits the Sun at an average distance of 5.9 billion kilometers, taking approximately 248 Earth years to complete one orbit. It is smaller than Earth's moon, with a diameter of about 2,372 kilometers.

<h2>Composition and moons</h2>

Pluto mainly consists of rock and ice. Its surface features a variety of landscapes, including mountains, valleys, plains, and an ocean that we’ll learn more about soon. The dwarf planet has a thin atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide.

Pluto has five moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx. Charon, the largest of these moons, is nearly half the size of Pluto itself.

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Scientists believed that Pluto’s extremely cold surface temperature of -220°C, which causes even gases like nitrogen and methane to freeze solid, would make the existence of liquid water impossible.

“Pluto because of its smaller size, could 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.”

Despite Pluto's frigid surface, recent discoveries like cryovolcanoes erupting with ice and water vapor are fueling the theory of a hidden ocean. Prominent scientists, including William B. McKinnon of WUSTL, now widely agree that Pluto likely conceals a vast liquid water ocean beneath its icy shell.

<h2>Pluto’s subsurface secrets</h2>

Nguyen and McGovern’s study dig deeper into the properties of Pluto’s hidden ocean. They created mathematical models to explain the cracks and bulges in the ice covering the Sputnik Platina Basin.

This colossal basin, sculpted by a huge meteor impact billions of years ago, hints at the ocean below. The team's models suggest this ocean is shielded by a 40-to-80-kilometer-thick (25-to-50-mile-thick) shell of water ice. By analysing surface fractures, they were even able to estimate the ocean's potential density or salinity.&nbsp;

“We estimated a sort of Goldilocks zone where the density and shell thickness is just right,” Nguyen explains.

The findings recommend that Pluto’s ocean is, at most, about 8% denser than Earth’s seawater, comparable to Utah’s Great Salt Lake. If humans could somehow reach Pluto’s ocean, they would effortlessly float.

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However the space agencies have no such immediate plans to revisit Pluto, but these findings lay the groundwork for future exploration and research.

The discovery of a liquid water ocean beneath Pluto’s icy surface challenges our understanding of this distant world and opens up new avenues for planetary exploration.

A hidden ocean of liquid water beneath Pluto's icy challenges our current understanding of this distant world, demanding a reevaluation of its internal makeup and processes.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pluto's secrets are being unraveled! Astronomers have found convincing evidence of a massive ocean of liquid water hidden beneath the dwarf planet's icy surface.

Pluto's secrets are being unraveled! Astronomers have found convincing evidence of a massive ocean of liquid water hidden beneath the dwarf planet's icy surface. This exciting discovery, published in Icarus, offers new insights into the makeup of this distant world. What lies beneath the ice in the ocean? This new research was led by Alex Nguyen, a graduate student in Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Nguyen and his team used mathematical models and images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft to investigate Pluto’s subsurface ocean. Also read: Massive iceberg in Antarctica breaks off in third major calving in past four years The research co-authored by Patrick McGovern of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, sheds light on a long-standing debate about the possibility of liquid water on Pluto. Pluto is not just a frozen rock Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. Initially recognised as the ninth planet in our solar system, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified it as a dwarf planet in 2006. Pluto orbits the Sun at an average distance of 5.9 billion kilometers, taking approximately 248 Earth years to complete one orbit. It is smaller than Earth's moon, with a diameter of about 2,372 kilometers. Composition and moons Pluto mainly consists of rock and ice. Its surface features a variety of landscapes, including mountains, valleys, plains, and an ocean that we’ll learn more about soon. The dwarf planet has a thin atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. Pluto has five moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx. Charon, the largest of these moons, is nearly half the size of Pluto itself. Also read: 'Comet of the Year' Tsuchinshan-ATLAS brightens, skygazers anticipate spectacular October show Scientists believed that Pluto’s extremely cold surface temperature of -220°C, which causes even gases like nitrogen and methane to freeze solid, would make the existence of liquid water impossible. “Pluto because of its smaller size, could 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.” Despite Pluto's frigid surface, recent discoveries like cryovolcanoes erupting with ice and water vapor are fueling the theory of a hidden ocean. Prominent scientists, including William B. McKinnon of WUSTL, now widely agree that Pluto likely conceals a vast liquid water ocean beneath its icy shell. Pluto’s subsurface secrets Nguyen and McGovern’s study dig deeper into the properties of Pluto’s hidden ocean. They created mathematical models to explain the cracks and bulges in the ice covering the Sputnik Platina Basin. This colossal basin, sculpted by a huge meteor impact billions of years ago, hints at the ocean below. The team's models suggest this ocean is shielded by a 40-to-80-kilometer-thick (25-to-50-mile-thick) shell of water ice. By analysing surface fractures, they were even able to estimate the ocean's potential density or salinity. “We estimated a sort of Goldilocks zone where the density and shell thickness is just right,” Nguyen explains. The findings recommend that Pluto’s ocean is, at most, about 8% denser than Earth’s seawater, comparable to Utah’s Great Salt Lake. If humans could somehow reach Pluto’s ocean, they would effortlessly float. Also read: Alien object or SpaceX Dragon debris? Mysterious space object found in North Carolina However the space agencies have no such immediate plans to revisit Pluto, but these findings lay the groundwork for future exploration and research. The discovery of a liquid water ocean beneath Pluto’s icy surface challenges our understanding of this distant world and opens up new avenues for planetary exploration. A hidden ocean of liquid water beneath Pluto's icy challenges our current understanding of this distant world, demanding a reevaluation of its internal makeup and processes. (With inputs from agencies)

Pluto may not be a real planet, but it has got a hidden ocean 

The mystery of a heart-shaped feature on Pluto’s surface finally saw the light of the day. The curiosity over the existence of an unusual giant shape on the ex-planet has left many astronomers and scientists perplexed. But thanks to recent research by an international team of astrophysicists, the mystery of the heart on Pluto has finally been unravelled.

Astrophysicists at&nbsp;the University of Bern and members of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, is the first team ever to successfully produce the unusual shape with numerical simulations, which are the result of giant and slow oblique-angle impact.

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The team of researchers investigated the origins of Sputnik Planitia, which is the western teardrop-shaped part of Pluto’s heart surface feature. As per the research, Pluto’s early history was marked by a cataclysmic event that formed the Sputnik Planitia, the western portion of the heart seen on Pluto.&nbsp;This was a collision with a planetary body about 700 km in diameter. The team also concluded the inner structure of Pluto is different from what was assumed previously.&nbsp;

<h2>When was the heart-shaped feature on Pluto discovered?</h2>

The unusual heart shape on Pluto was first discovered in 2015 when NASA’s New Horizons mission spotted a large structure on the surface of the dwarf planet. Since then, it has puzzled scientists for not only its unique shape but also for its geological composition and elevation.

The heart shape on Pluto is scientifically known as the Tombaugh Regio which is covered in a high-albedo material that reflects more light than its surroundings, creating its white colour. However, the heart is not composed of a single element.&nbsp;

Take a closer look at the heart-shaped feature on Pluto
<img alt="Pluto" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bbe7b6f4-37f4-4c3b-a238-eae1729ce550" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/32D7BDE600000578-0-image-a-5_1459793104257.jpg" />
&nbsp;

"The bright appearance of Sputnik Planitia is due to it being predominantly filled with white nitrogen ice that moves and convects to constantly smooth out the surface. This nitrogen most likely accumulated quickly after the impact due to the lower altitude," explains Dr Harry Ballantyne from the University of Bern, lead author of the study.

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The eastern side of the heart is also covered by a similar but much thinner layer of nitrogen ice. Its origin is also not known but it is probably related to Sputnik Planitia.&nbsp;

"The elongated shape of Sputnik Planitia strongly suggests that the impact was not a direct head-on collision but rather an oblique one," points out Dr Martin Jutzi of the University of Bern, who initiated the study.

The team used the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation software to digitally recreate such impacts, varying both the composition of Pluto and its impactor, as well as the velocity and angle of the impactor. These simulations confirmed the scientists' suspicions about the oblique angle of impact and determined the composition of the impactor.

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"Pluto's core is so cold that the rocks remained very hard and did not melt despite the heat of the impact, and thanks to the angle of impact and the low velocity, the core of the impactor did not sink into Pluto's core but remained intact as a splat on it," explains Ballantyne.

The team's findings were recently published in Nature Astronomy.

(With inputs from agencies)

The mystery of a heart-shaped feature on Pluto’s surface finally saw the light of the day. The curiosity over the existence of an unusual giant shape on the ex-planet has left many astronomers and scientists perplexed.

The mystery of a heart-shaped feature on Pluto’s surface finally saw the light of the day. The curiosity over the existence of an unusual giant shape on the ex-planet has left many astronomers and scientists perplexed. But thanks to recent research by an international team of astrophysicists, the mystery of the heart on Pluto has finally been unravelled. Astrophysicists at the University of Bern and members of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS, is the first team ever to successfully produce the unusual shape with numerical simulations, which are the result of giant and slow oblique-angle impact. Also Read | Brace up for science revision children. Scientists just identified how we taste it bitter The team of researchers investigated the origins of Sputnik Planitia, which is the western teardrop-shaped part of Pluto’s heart surface feature. As per the research, Pluto’s early history was marked by a cataclysmic event that formed the Sputnik Planitia, the western portion of the heart seen on Pluto. This was a collision with a planetary body about 700 km in diameter. The team also concluded the inner structure of Pluto is different from what was assumed previously. When was the heart-shaped feature on Pluto discovered? The unusual heart shape on Pluto was first discovered in 2015 when NASA’s New Horizons mission spotted a large structure on the surface of the dwarf planet. Since then, it has puzzled scientists for not only its unique shape but also for its geological composition and elevation. The heart shape on Pluto is scientifically known as the Tombaugh Regio which is covered in a high-albedo material that reflects more light than its surroundings, creating its white colour. However, the heart is not composed of a single element. Take a closer look at the heart-shaped feature on Pluto "The bright appearance of Sputnik Planitia is due to it being predominantly filled with white nitrogen ice that moves and convects to constantly smooth out the surface. This nitrogen most likely accumulated quickly after the impact due to the lower altitude," explains Dr Harry Ballantyne from the University of Bern, lead author of the study. Also Read | NASA reveals mystery behind metal chunk which fell from space into Florida's home. Here's what they found The eastern side of the heart is also covered by a similar but much thinner layer of nitrogen ice. Its origin is also not known but it is probably related to Sputnik Planitia. "The elongated shape of Sputnik Planitia strongly suggests that the impact was not a direct head-on collision but rather an oblique one," points out Dr Martin Jutzi of the University of Bern, who initiated the study. The team used the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation software to digitally recreate such impacts, varying both the composition of Pluto and its impactor, as well as the velocity and angle of the impactor. These simulations confirmed the scientists' suspicions about the oblique angle of impact and determined the composition of the impactor. Also Read | New study identifies potential link between Moon's phases and menstrual cycle "Pluto's core is so cold that the rocks remained very hard and did not melt despite the heat of the impact, and thanks to the angle of impact and the low velocity, the core of the impactor did not sink into Pluto's core but remained intact as a splat on it," explains Ballantyne. The team's findings were recently published in Nature Astronomy. (With inputs from agencies)

An icy space rock collided with Pluto and jabbed a heart on its surface

A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates&nbsp;that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought.

According to scientists, the cryovolcanoes, which may number ten or more, range in height from six-tenths of a mile (1 km) to four and a half miles (7 km). Unlike Earth volcanoes, which spew gases and molten rock, the cryovolcanoes on this dwarf planet extrude vast amounts of ice - likely frozen water rather than some other frozen material - with the consistency of toothpaste, according to the researchers.

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Cryovolcanoes have been also been&nbsp;identified on the asteroid belt dwarf planet Ceres, Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Neptune's moon Triton. However, their surface parameters, including&nbsp;temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as diverse combinations of ice elements, all differ from Pluto's, according to the researchers.

"Finding these features does indicate that Pluto is more active, or geologically alive, than we previously thought it would be," &nbsp;said lead author and planetary scientist Kelsi Singer of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

"The combination of these features being geologically recent, covering a vast area and most likely being made of water ice is surprising because it requires more internal heat than we thought Pluto would have at this stage of its history," Singer added.

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Pluto, which is smaller than Earth's moon and has a diameter of about 1,400 miles (2,380 kilometres), circles the sun at a distance of around 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometres), roughly 40 times that of&nbsp;Earth. Plains, mountains, craters, and valleys can be found on its surface.

The latest study's images and data, which were retrieved by New Horizons in 2015, confirmed prior assumptions concerning cryovolcanism on Pluto.

According to Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist Alan Stern, the New Horizons principal investigator and research co-author, the study discovered not just widespread evidence for cryovolcanism, but also that it has been long-lived, and not a mere&nbsp;singular event.

Watch |&nbsp;A new frontier in space exploration

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-new-frontier-in-space-exploration-439824/embed" width="560"></iframe>

What's most fascinating about Pluto is that it's so complicated - as complex as Earth or Mars despite its smaller size and greater&nbsp;distance from Sun, said Stern.

Pluto, like Earth and the other planets in our solar system, formed around 4.5 billion years ago. It appears that its cryovolcanoes are quite new, having formed in the last few hundred million years, based on the lack of impact craters that would ordinarily collect over time.

On a geologic timeline, that's quite recent&nbsp;said Singer, adding that because there are so few impact craters, it's plausible that these processes are still going on now.

(With inputs from agencies)

A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought.

A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought. According to scientists, the cryovolcanoes, which may number ten or more, range in height from six-tenths of a mile (1 km) to four and a half miles (7 km). Unlike Earth volcanoes, which spew gases and molten rock, the cryovolcanoes on this dwarf planet extrude vast amounts of ice - likely frozen water rather than some other frozen material - with the consistency of toothpaste, according to the researchers. Also read | NASA-ESA solar orbiter clicks the most detailed pictures of the Sun. Take a look! Cryovolcanoes have been also been identified on the asteroid belt dwarf planet Ceres, Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Neptune's moon Triton. However, their surface parameters, including temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as diverse combinations of ice elements, all differ from Pluto's, according to the researchers. "Finding these features does indicate that Pluto is more active, or geologically alive, than we previously thought it would be," said lead author and planetary scientist Kelsi Singer of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "The combination of these features being geologically recent, covering a vast area and most likely being made of water ice is surprising because it requires more internal heat than we thought Pluto would have at this stage of its history," Singer added. Also read | NASA confirms a 'celestial milestone', 5000 exoplanets confirmed so far Pluto, which is smaller than Earth's moon and has a diameter of about 1,400 miles (2,380 kilometres), circles the sun at a distance of around 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometres), roughly 40 times that of Earth. Plains, mountains, craters, and valleys can be found on its surface. The latest study's images and data, which were retrieved by New Horizons in 2015, confirmed prior assumptions concerning cryovolcanism on Pluto. According to Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist Alan Stern, the New Horizons principal investigator and research co-author, the study discovered not just widespread evidence for cryovolcanism, but also that it has been long-lived, and not a mere singular event. Watch | A new frontier in space exploration What's most fascinating about Pluto is that it's so complicated - as complex as Earth or Mars despite its smaller size and greater distance from Sun, said Stern. Pluto, like Earth and the other planets in our solar system, formed around 4.5 billion years ago. It appears that its cryovolcanoes are quite new, having formed in the last few hundred million years, based on the lack of impact craters that would ordinarily collect over time. On a geologic timeline, that's quite recent said Singer, adding that because there are so few impact craters, it's plausible that these processes are still going on now. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover ice volcanoes on dwarf-planet Pluto