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U.S. Geological Society
19 Apr 2016
earth-and-planetary-astrophysicsphysics

The Geology of Pluto and Charon Through the Eyes of New Horizons

Stanford University logoStanford UniversityNASA Goddard Space Flight Center logoNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterUniversity of Arizona logoUniversity of ArizonaNASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryUniversity of Virginia logoUniversity of VirginiaJohns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaWashington UniversitySouthwest Research InstituteSETI InstituteLowell ObservatoryLunar and Planetary InstitutePlanetary Science InstituteNational Optical Astronomy ObservatoryU.S. Geological SocietyRoane State Community CollegeNASA, Ames Research Center
New Horizons data provides the first comprehensive geological examination of Pluto and Charon, revealing Pluto as a surprisingly geologically active world with ongoing processes like nitrogen ice convection, glacial flow, and potential cryovolcanism, while Charon exhibits evidence of extensive past tectonic activity. This study from NASA Ames Research Center challenges previous assumptions about geological activity on small, cold bodies in the outer solar system.
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