NASA Probe Captures Pluto's Blue Atmosphere In Infrared

Pluto's blue atmosphere is seen in a stunning new infrared photo released by NASA.

The new and old water-ice maps were both made using infrared-light observations captured by New Horizons' Ralph/Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) instrument, at a distance of about 67,000 miles (108,000 km) from Pluto, NASA officials said.

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The images/map indicates that water ice is more wide spread across Pluto's surface than previously thought, which is a remarkable findings for researchers.

Pluto may be blue in these images, but they're making scientists on Earth very happy. Problem with this method was that the water ice on Pluto is mixed with ices of methane, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide that could hide the actual water.

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The new map shows exposed water ice to be considerably more widespread across Pluto's surface than was previously known - an important discovery.

The space agency's New Horizons craft conducted a flyby of Pluto in July past year.

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NASA said water ice was Pluto's "bedrock", with more-volatile ice changing its pattern with each change in season.

There are whitish patches around Pluto's limbs, which are sunlight bouncing off more reflective or smoother areas on Pluto's surface - with the largest patch being the western section of the informally named Cthulhu Regio, Nasa said.

A disadvantage of that technique is that water ice's spectral signature is easily masked by methane ice, so that map was only sensitive to areas that were especially rich in water ice and/or depleted in methane. These particles create the blue haze when hit by sunlight. A sapphire-colored ring with white sprinkled throughout is what New Horizons scientists believe is a reaction of sunlight on methane producing hydrocarbons into small particles.

Source: NASA Probe Captures Pluto's Blue Atmosphere In Infrared