This is an important aspect of Pluto's geology. Pluto was once referred to as the ninth planet, but there are times in its 248-year orbit that it's closer to the sun than Neptune.

Scientists on NASA's New Horizons mission, which performed the first-ever flyby of Pluto on July 14, have put together a color-coded geological map of Sputnik Planum, the huge nitrogen-ice plain ...

If all goes as planned (and for the most part, things have been), New Horizons will make its closest approach, coming within 8,000 miles of Pluto's surface, on the morning of Tuesday, July 14.

Pluto’s informally-named Sputnik Planum region is mapped, with the key indicating a wide variety of units or terrains. Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI The various blue and greenish units that fill the ...

ATLANTA — A huge heart-shaped feature on the surface of Pluto has intrigued astronomers since NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured it in a 2015 image. Now, researchers think they have solved ...

Scientists call it the beating heart of Pluto, probably because it appears to be a vast reservoir that acts as the supply depot for Pluto’s entire atmosphere and geology, said William McKinnon ...

New Horizons continues to discover more about the dwarf planet. — -- The photos taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft continue to come back to Earth revealing new details about Pluto's ...

Pluto isn't just a distant ice ball; it's turning out to be a fascinating example of planetary geology. By Ryan Whitwam October 16, 2015 Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share on X (opens ...