NASA: New Horizons Captures Possible Historic Discovery On Pluto, ‘This Feature Is Enormous’

By  //  January 16, 2016

If it's a volcano, largest feature discovered in the outer solar system

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Scientists with NASA’s New Horizons mission have assembled this highest-resolution color view of one of two potential cryovolcanoes spotted on the surface of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015. (NASA Image)

(NASA.gov) – Scientists with NASA’s New Horizons mission have assembled this highest-resolution color view of one of two potential cryovolcanoes spotted on the surface of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015.

This feature, known as Wright Mons, was informally named by the New Horizons team in honor of the Wright brothers.

At about 90 miles (150 kilometers) across and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) high, this feature is enormous.

If it is in fact a volcano, as suspected, it would be the largest such feature discovered in the outer solar system.

Mission scientists are intrigued by the sparse distribution of red material in the image and wonder why it is not more widespread. Also perplexing is that there is only one identified impact crater on Wright Mons itself, telling scientists that the surface (as well as some of the crust underneath) was created relatively recently.

This is turn may indicate that Wright Mons was volcanically active late in Pluto’s history.

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If it is in fact a volcano, as suspected, it would be the largest such feature discovered in the outer solar system. (NASA Image)