NASA Images Show Frozen Canyons In Pluto's North Pole
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OUTER SPACE (CBSMiami) -- NASA has released the latest photos of Pluto's north pole region making our own planet's poles look like a tropical paradise.
The new enhanced color images show the ethereal scene of frozen canyons that streak through the dwarf planet's surface, giving researchers yet another glimpse at Pluto's diverse geographic makeup.
The long canyons, in color, mainly run vertically across the Lowell Regio area, named for Percival Lowell, who is credited with initiating the early 1900's search that led to Pluto's discovery in 1930. The yellow region represents the largest canyon, stretching about 45 miles wide. The red pits show a deep scarring that scientists believe could be collapsed ground, possibly from melted ice.
These all suggest that there was tectonic plate activity in Pluto's past.
Scientists believe it points to a roughly active place with an atmosphere and changing climates, that contradicts the myth that Pluto is just a dead ball of ice.
As more information is learned about the celestial body once considered our solar system's farthest planet from the sun, perhaps it can one day regain classification as an official planet.