Recent research spearheaded by Southwest Research Institute indicates that liquid nitrogen might be circulating beneath the vast Sputnik Planitia glacier on Pluto. Scientists examined images taken by NASA's New Horizons mission in 2015 and 2016, and uncovered dark surface features that may signify recent liquid movement. Sputnik Planitia exceeds the combined area of Texas and Oklahoma, while Pluto's diameter is approximately three-quarters that of the continental United States. Computational models propose that nitrogen ice located several kilometers below the surface might melt and ascend through narrow channels. Additional high-resolution mapping could uncover whether similar processes are occurring in other regions of Pluto.
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