Research pair offer three possible models of Pluto ahead of New Horizons visit
Tuesday, April 15, 2014 - 10:01
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org) —Two space researchers, Amy Barr, with Brown University and Geoffrey Collins with Wheaton College, have published a paper in the journal Icarus in which they describe three possible interior models of the former planet Pluto. They suggest the possibilities include: an undifferentiated rock/ice mixture, a differentiated rock/ice mixture, and an ocean covered with ice. The third possibility suggests the likelihood, they claim, of tectonic action on the dwarf planet. A close up view of the planet by space probe New Horizons due to arrive next year, should help clarify which scenario is most likely.