BERN, SWITZERLAND – Researchers have unlocked the mystery behind the heart-shaped feature on Pluto’s surface, which has puzzled scientists since NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft captured an image in 2015. Known as Tombaugh Regio, this heart-shaped feature is not entirely composed of one element, confounding scientists for decades with its elevation, composition, and reflective surface that differs from the rest of Pluto.
The heart feature, encompassing a deep basin called Sputnik Planitia, is believed to have been formed by a cataclysmic event early in Pluto’s history. Researchers suggest that a planetary body roughly twice the size of Switzerland collided with Pluto, forming the distinct shape we see today. This finding was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Further analysis of the internal structure of Pluto reveals a mass deficit due to the impact, causing Sputnik Planitia to slowly migrate towards the dwarf planet’s north pole during its formation. The researchers used numerical simulations to model various impact scenarios and determined that the impactor likely struck Pluto at an angle, preserving its core intact on the planet’s surface.
Interestingly, the teardrop shape of Sputnik Planitia is a result of Pluto’s frigid core and the velocity of the impact. This new understanding sheds light on Pluto’s origins, bringing into question previous theories about subsurface oceans and offering a different explanation for the feature’s location.
Studying Pluto’s unique geological features is crucial for unraveling the mysteries of this distant dwarf planet. As researchers delve deeper into Pluto’s history, more information about its interior structure could provide valuable insights into how it formed and evolved over time. This newfound knowledge opens up new avenues for exploration and potential future space missions to gather more data about Pluto and its enigmatic features.