Pluto has always been under a lot of speculation as both its exclusion and subsequent inclusion in the solar system were much-hyped. The tiniest planet in the solar system, it has always been under a lot of research. As it is located the farthest away from the sun, the planet is extremely cold, but this doesn’t exempt it from scientists looking for traces of some kind of extraterrestrial life.
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Now, based on a new research, it has been found that beneath Pluto’s icy surface that resembles the heart, there is a likelihood that a salty ocean exists. It can be as much as 100 kilometers deep. The presence of such an ocean could further trigger a series of other research. A lot more experiments and theories might be waiting to be unveiled.
This buried salty ocean might have sometimes tipped over the planet in the past. This could have brought the heart-shaped area in line with Charon’s gravitational force. (Charon is Pluto’s largest moon.)
Old Theories
This isn’t the first time that such a theory has come up. Even back in March, there were researchers who proposed that there may be a subsurface ocean present on Pluto. This theory backs the alignment which is present between Charon and Sputnik Planum.
A lot of computer simulations were conducted so that the thickness of the speculated salty ocean could be measured. Based on the computation and calculation, it is estimated that the ocean may be as much as 100 kilometers deep.
If more evidence is found, scientists will surely be intrigued as this could spark in more changes. The presence of even frozen ocean triggers the possibility of some kind of future changes on the planet. No doubt, it is hard to conclude both the presence and depth of the ocean but after the much-hyped heart shape on Pluto’s surface that was heavily discussed, scientists and researchers definitely wanted to dig for more details.
