Friday, July 20, 2007

Water On Pluto!

As a planet, Pluto was a real dog. Now scientists say there may be something truly fishy about one the little world's three known moons.

Astronomers have announced they have evidence that, despite the bitterly cold conditions on the edge of the solar system, Pluto's moon Charon may have an underground ocean of liquid water, triggering speculation it could harbour marine life.

The water appears to be spewing up through cracks in the surface, producing spectacular geysers that instantly freeze, creating showers of ice.

Using Hawaii's giant Gemini Telescope, the astronomers found that the 1200 kilometre-wide moon is covered in patches of water crystals, and ammonia hydrates.

The crystals appear fresh, suggesting ice geysers, or ice volcanoes, must be erupting every few hours or days.

The observations point "consistently to cryo-volcanism, which brings liquid water to the surface, where it freezes into ice crystals," said Jason Cook, from Arizona State University. "That implies that Charon's interior possesses liquid water."

Radioactive materials could be melting Charon's interior ice, producing the water.

Another project scientist, Professor Steven Desch, said the ammonia hydrates may be stopping the water from re-freezing in a world where the temperature plunges below minus 230 degrees. "It is literally an anti-freeze."

University of NSW astronomer Michael Ashley, who has led Australian hunts for new worlds in the outer solar system, described the findings as "very interesting" .

"One might speculate that some sort of life could exist in an underground ocean, surviving on energy from natural radioactivity.

"The conditions on the surface of Charon, however, are bleak. Any 'Plutonian' penguins would be snap-frozen by the minus 230C temperatures."

Dr Ashley called the discovery of evidence pointing to an underground ocean on the solar system's fringe as "a classic case of excellent scientific detective work."

The Gemini astronomers said Charon's geysers "could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine" and speculated that many other worlds in the outer solar system may also have water oceans beneath global ice caps.

Proof may have to wait until July 2015 when NASA's New Horizons probe, now on its way to Pluto, beams back close-up pictures of Charon.

Last year Pluto, dubbed the ninth planet on its discovery in 1930, was demoted to dwarf planet after international astronomers agreed that just 2300 kilometres wide, it was too puny to retain its status.
Posted by Ajay :: 9:57 AM :: 0 comments

Post a Comment

---------------oOo---------------