Pluto is one of the farthest objects in the solar system. The NASA New Horizons mission to Pluto has ended recently, though the study of the dwarf planet carries on. Much has yet to be known about Pluto. Modeling shows how Pluto's heart is formed, something that has fascinated astronomers with the recent images of Pluto.
Perhaps one of the best-known features of Pluto is its heart-shaped region. New Horizons took images of the region in 2015, marking it as the first time that it has ever been seen. There is much interest in the region, with some studies suggesting that underneath it might be a frozen ocean.
The western lobe of the heart, known as Sputnik Planitia, has been studied since the area is tidally locked with Charon. This has made astronomers speculate that Pluto might have an ocean underneath its surface. A model made by Douglas Hamilton, a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Maryland shows that the region might have been formed early in Pluto's development.
Other theories state that the ice basin has been formed by impact. Hamilton, through the computer model he created, suggests that the region and basin have been formed while Pluto was still spinning at a fast rate. The area has been formed then as part of its development process, and not because of an impact.
The initial location of Sputnik Planitia could be explained by its climate and tilt. Pluto is tilted at 120 degrees, while the Earth's tilt is at 23.5 degrees. This would make 30 degrees north and south to be the coldest regions of Pluto, according to Phys Org. The ice then would form much more at those areas. Sputnik Planitia would be quite near to those areas, which is at 25 degrees.
Since temperature on Pluto is low, as ice develops it would attract even more ice to form. This would repeat in a cycle, as Science Daily reports. The basin though has been losing much ice mass over the years. Even with the basin losing much mass, ice has accumulated on it that it has affected the dwarf planet's center of mass.
Also affecting its spin is Charon. Charon is slowing the spin of Pluto. Since it is almost as large as Pluto, its effect is much greater than the Moon has on the Earth. This has resulted in Pluto locking one portion of it to Charon, so that the side is always facing it.
There is still many things to know about Pluto. Hamilton's theory is just one of the possibilities. His modeling shows how Pluto's heart is formed. Earlier New Horizons has shown the possibility that Pluto might have a frozen ocean underneath.
