New Horizons Mission Detects Evidence of Liquid Nitrogen on Pluto's Surface

AI-generated NewsSnap summary based on source reporting.
Published: 2026-09-17
Category: science
Source: ScienceDaily (citing Southwest Research Institute)
Original source

Data from NASA's New Horizons mission suggests liquid nitrogen may be flowing onto Pluto's frozen surface. Dark features on the Sputnik Planitia glacier are consistent with nitrogen rising from beneath the ice, indicating Pluto could be more geologically active than previously understood. This finding challenges existing models of the dwarf planet's internal dynamics.

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