We may have demoted Pluto to the status of dwarf planet – but this doesn’t mean we know all of its secrets.
This fact was driven home to the scientific community today, when NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft sent back images of a series of evenly spaced spots on Pluto’s surface.
NASA calls the consistency in the size and spacing of the spots “remarkable.”
New Horizons is still on approach to Pluto, and more information about the spots may be revealed in coming days.
There is also the possibility that Pluto’s atmosphere may contain clouds – and New Horizons should be able to track the directions and speeds of Pluto’s wind should it detect them.
Currently, New Horizons is just two weeks away from Pluto. It has made a journey of 3 billion miles over the course of nine years.
