Hubble spots Pluto blushing in space

TheHippie

TheHippie

Veteran Member
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8499660.stm

Images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed some unusual and colourful changes to the surface of Pluto.

Nasa says the dwarf planet on the edge of our solar system is becoming increasingly red.

Its illuminated northern hemisphere is also getting brighter.

Nasa's scientists believe these are seasonal changes - as the planet heads into a new phase of its 248-year-long seasonal cycle.

"These changes are most likely consequences of surface ice melting on the sunlit pole and then re-freezing on the other pole," Nasa's Space Telescope Science Institute said in a statement.

The overall colour is probably a result of ultraviolet radiation from the distant Sun breaking up methane on Pluto's surface. This, scientists say, would leave behind a red carbon-rich residue.

But some astronomers have expressed shock at the changes.

"It's a little bit of a surprise to see these changes happening so big and so fast," said Marc Buie, of the Southwest Research Institute. "This is unprecedented."

In 2006, astronomers stripped Pluto of its status as a full planet, downgrading it to a dwarf planet.

Further away and considerably smaller than the eight other "traditional" planets in the solar system, Pluto - at just 2,360km (1,467 miles) across - is smaller even than some moons.

Nasa said: "The Hubble pictures underscore that Pluto is not simply a ball of ice and rock but a dynamic world that undergoes dramatic atmospheric changes."
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B

Ben Sunday

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Between the methane atmosphere and the mega cold temperatures (except as indicated in polar areas at certain times), I would suspect that Pluto is essentially dead.

248 years seasonal cycles? Yikes!
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Ben Sunday said:
Between the methane atmosphere and the mega cold temperatures (except as indicated in polar areas at certain times), I would suspect that Pluto is essentially dead.

248 years seasonal cycles? Yikes!
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Don't bet on it there's critters living in that torrid soup at the bottom of the pacific ocean, and nothing was supposed to live there. There's critters that live and thrive in the acid pools in some of the caves and coal mines in southern Illinois, pH is 3ish - seriously NOTHING should be able to live in that. Ditto for the hot pools that are very acidic and or very basic at Yellowstone.

I'm not ruling anything out, it may well be a life form we don't know and understand but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. And don't even get me started on the various fungi that can survive just about anything anywhere!
 
B

Ben Sunday

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Obviously, ruling things out is foolish. Yes, you may be on to something regarding fungi and things of that ilk. It doesn't need a lengthy discussion, but acknowledging such things is worthwhile.

Having said that, in most cases, methane and mega sub freezing temperatures (-300F?) are generally lethal to life forms we mere mortals would casually recognize.

Thanks for the reply.
 
dissimulo

dissimulo

Membership Revoked
It is hard to get any biochemical reactions going at subfreezing temperatures. Without a hot core, likelihood of life on Pluto is about the lowest in the solar system.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
dissimulo said:
It is hard to get any biochemical reactions going at subfreezing temperatures. Without a hot core, likelihood of life on Pluto is about the lowest in the solar system.
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Most probably true but as the planet approaches it's closet point with the sun the core may well heat up, will be interesting to see if they do any long term studies on the planets approach, well interesting to see their hypothesis that is.

K-
 
MataPam

MataPam

Veteran Member
packyderms_wife said:
Most probably true but as the planet approaches it's closet point with the sun the core may well heat up, will be interesting to see if they do any long term studies on the planets approach, well interesting to see their hypothesis that is.

K-
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It's already done that, it's on the way out now. Think of this as the last "hot" days of summer for Pluto.
 
jed turtle

jed turtle

a brother in the Lord
MataPam said:
It's already done that, it's on the way out now. Think of this as the last "hot" days of summer for Pluto.
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if true, then why would the supposition be that methane is melting only just now after being in its summer phase long prior to now? certainly wouldn't seem to be the sun as it is in a relatively quiescent phase itself for the last several years.
 
jrzydude

jrzydude

Inactive
"The overall colour is probably a result of ultraviolet radiation from the distant Sun breaking up methane on Pluto's surface. This, scientists say, would leave behind a red carbon-rich residue."

Is this methane from dead dinosaurs that lived there millions of years ago?
 
dissimulo

dissimulo

Membership Revoked
jrzydude said:
Is this methane from dead dinosaurs that lived there millions of years ago?
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Methane is most likely of abiotic origin on planets that do not have an oxygen-rich atmosphere. In an oxygen atmosphere, short chain hydrocarbons like methane get oxidized to carbon dioxide, which is eventually processed by plants to get the oxygen back out, while the carbon remains in the plants. (This is how it is theorized that the Earth changed from a methane-rich to oxygen-rich atmosphere over time.)

In an oxygen rich atmosphere, methane is more likely to be of biological origin because something must replenish it as it gets broken down.
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
dissimulo said:
Methane is most likely of abiotic origin on planets that do not have an oxygen-rich atmosphere. In an oxygen atmosphere, short chain hydrocarbons like methane get oxidized to carbon dioxide, which is eventually processed by plants to get the oxygen back out, while the carbon remains in the plants. (This is how it is theorized that the Earth changed from a methane-rich to oxygen-rich atmosphere over time.)

In an oxygen rich atmosphere, methane is more likely to be of biological origin because something must replenish it as it gets broken down.
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And as a mycologist I'd say that hmmmmmmmmm I'm betting that Pluto is covered in Fungi!

K-
 
MataPam

MataPam

Veteran Member
jed turtle said:
if true, then why would the supposition be that methane is melting only just now after being in its summer phase long prior to now? certainly wouldn't seem to be the sun as it is in a relatively quiescent phase itself for the last several years.
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Keep in mind that when an astronomer says ice, he means water ice, methane ice, ammonia ice, and so forth. Stuff that is liquid or gas at normal (for Earth) temperatures and pressures and is frozen solid out there.

As an example, based on nothing but speculation, there may have been a layer of frozen ammonia on the surface, and now it's finally melted off enough that the methane ice below is now melting.

Of course it is also probably being deposited on the south pole which is aimed away from the Sun.

Keep in mind that the closest point to the Sun (perihelion) and the time when the angle of the poles aim the north pole most directly at the Sun are not the same. It may be that the very long days of summer are what are important to warming the surface, not the closest approach.
 
Was Cath

Was Cath

Inactive
dissimulo said:
Methane is most likely of abiotic origin on planets that do not have an oxygen-rich atmosphere. In an oxygen atmosphere, short chain hydrocarbons like methane get oxidized to carbon dioxide, which is eventually processed by plants to get the oxygen back out, while the carbon remains in the plants. (This is how it is theorized that the Earth changed from a methane-rich to oxygen-rich atmosphere over time.)

In an oxygen rich atmosphere, methane is more likely to be of biological origin because something must replenish it as it gets broken down.
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Ahh, organic chem flashbacks! Make it stop!!
 
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