Surprise! Pluto may have had an underground ocean from the very beginning

[Judi Lynn]

By Charles Q. Choi a day ago

Pluto may be a more habitable world than scientists had thought.



Pluto, as seen by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its historic flyby of the dwarf planet
in July 2015. (Image: © NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)

Though Pluto is now famously frigid, it may have started off as a hot world that formed rapidly and violently, a new study finds.

This result suggests Pluto may have possessed an underground ocean since early on in its life, potentially improving its chances of hosting life, researchers said.

Previous work assumed Pluto originated from cold and icy rock clumping together in the distant Kuiper Belt, the ring of objects beyond Neptune's orbit. Although there is evidence that Pluto currently possesses a liquid ocean beneath its thick frozen shell, researchers have suggested this subsurface ocean developed long after Pluto formed, after ice melted due to heat from radioactive elements in Pluto's core.

Now scientists argue that instead of a cold formation, Pluto had a hot start, one full of explosive force.

More:
https://www.space.com/pluto-hot-formation-subsurface-ocean.html

[underpants]

1. Well that's Goofy

[bobbieinok]

2. Thanks again for all your science posts. I share many of the links