NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto | HappeningNow.news

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NASA’s New Horizons spots signs of liquid nitrogen flowing on Pluto

A new analysis led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) suggests that liquid nitrogen may be moving upward through cracks and reaching the surface of Pluto near the northern edge of Sputnik Planitia, the enormous heart-shaped glacier…

Source AI Summary Published September 17, 2026 Brief Under 1 min brief
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Scientists have identified the first evidence that liquid may have once moved across Pluto’s surface, based on dark markings observed on the Sputnik Planitia glacier that match patterns expected from liquid nitrogen rising through cracks from deep beneath the ice. Computer simulations indicate nitrogen can melt at the glacier’s base and ascend through small conduits, behaving like a fluid. The discovery suggests Pluto is geologically more active than its frozen exterior implies.

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