A new image transmitted by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has led mission scientists to theorize that sections of Pluto’s heart-shaped plain behave much like a lava lamp – with blobs rising to the surface when warmed by the dwarf planet’s internal heat, and sinking when they cool.
The image was captured by the spacecraft’s Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) at a distance of roughly 10,000 miles (17,000 km) on July 14, 2015. The shot covers an area 50 miles (80 km) wide and more than 400 miles (700 km) in length.
via Gizmag
Image: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
