Hubble spots Pluto blushing in space

[Bj]

Wonder why ice would turn red?

Nasa scientists say that dwarf planet Pluto, on the edge of our solar system, is becoming increasingly red.
Images taken by the Hubble space telescope show that the planet is some 20% redder than it used to be.
Experts say they believe this is because of changes in Pluto's surface ice as it enters a new phase of its 248-year-long rotation.
The new images are said to show frozen nitrogen brightening in the north and becoming darker in the south.
"These changes are most likely consequences of surface ice melting on the sunlit pole and then re-freezing on the other pole," Nasa's Space Telescope Science Institute said in a statement.
But some astronomers have expressed shock at the changes.
"It's a little bit of a surprise to see these changes happening so big and so fast," said Marc Buie, of the Southwest Research Institute. "This is unprecedented."
In 2006, astronomers stripped Pluto of its status as a full planet, downgrading it to a dwarf planet.
Further away and considerably smaller than the eight other "traditional" planets in our solar system, Pluto - at just 2,360km (1,467 miles) across - is smaller even than some moons.
But the red tinge is not thought to have had a marked effect on Pluto's temperature: despite any redness, Pluto's surface temperature is incredibly cold at -233C (-382F).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8499660.stm

 

[JamesG]

As the Nitrogen ice thaws out it leaves behind and exposes sediments of other elements like carbon, iron etc.

It happens quickly because once sunlight "warms" the surface above the freezing point, the ices rapidly vaporize to gas.

 

[Andy44]

Pluto is angry at being stripped of planet status and will make you earthlings pay the price!!!

 

[foxtrot]

Pluto.

Pluto is blushing? Is it in love with a moon or planet? :lol:

 

[Turbinator]

Imagine New Horizons was there right now.

 

[Mafuskas]

Exactly, I'm very much looking forward to its arrival.

Only about 2,401,050,000 km to go!

 

[JamesG]

Pluto is blushing? Is it in love with a moon or planet? :lol:

Perhaps it had a lover's quarrel with Charon?

 

[Ark]

Wow. Way out there at Pluto, you assume that everything is cold, dead, and motionless. Guess not.

 

[Turbinator]

Can you believe it's going to take a total of 9 months to retrieve all the data that New Horizons will record on it's Pluto fly by. Now that's FAR !

 

[JamesG]

Wow. Way out there at Pluto, you assume that everything is cold, dead, and motionless.

Nope, just everything is shifted to the cold end of the temperature spectrum.

 

[T.Neo]

Nope, just everything is shifted to the cold end of the temperature spectrum.

In this case it is the cold end of the temperature spectrum. :lol:

 

[JamesG]

Depends on your perspective. Its probably a warm summer day to a Plutonian.

 

[T.Neo]

A plutonian would find it a tad difficult to survive without much of an atmosphere...

 

[jinglesassy]

they adapted to extremely low atmospheric conditions

 

[JamesG]

hehe, if you can put up with near absolute zero temperatures, a little thing like no atmosphere isn't going to faze you.

 

[Kyle]

Artist rendering of Pluto and Charon.