Pluto began hot inside, study of its surface fractures suggests
A natural color image of Pluto taken by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015.
(NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker)
In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto’s horizon.
NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Many people are still upset that Pluto was demoted from being a planet. But definitions of various celestial objects are fairly fluid. So whether it is an asteroid or moon or planet is up for debate.
The spectacular layers of blue haze in Pluto’s atmosphere, captured by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
There's a mysterious lack of small bodies beyond Neptune, but a 'snowman-shaped' object may help explain why.
A telescope pointed at the skies above Senegal to capture the stellar occultation.
François Colas, Observatoire de Paris, Insititut de Mécanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephémérides
David Baratoux, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
Senegal has made great strides in astronomy and planetary sciences in recent years.
Pluto in enhanced color, to illustrate differences in the composition and texture of its surface.
NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute
A group of astronomers are trying to reclassify Pluto as full 'planet'. But there are good reasons to leave our classification system alone, and this doesn't mean Pluto is any less interesting.
Will the moon move from servant to equal?
Gregory H. Revera/wikipedia
Trapped gas could be tainting the north pole of Pluto's moon Charon dark red.
New Horizons continues to help unravel the icy dwarf planet’s secrets.
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
After last summer's Pluto flyby, the New Horizons spacecraft started sending data back to Earth – at 2 kilobits per second. Here's some of what scientists have learned so far from that rich, slow cache.
A highlight of 2015 was the number of weird and wonderful exoplanets that were found.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
This week, NASA has discovered great similarities between the Earth and Mars and Pluto. But when it comes to the potential for life, Mars is an increasingly hot favourite.
Charon has a huge fracture system, unlike anything seen on Pluto.
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
New Year's resolutions are one thing. But what does it take to devote your life to a work goal with such a long time horizon you might never reach it in your lifetime?