Even though Pluto no longer qualifies as a planet, scientists are nonetheless interested in studying the far-off frozen world and its satellite Charon. Pluto is farther distant from Earth than 5 billion years.
Up until recently, Pluto could only be seen as a fuzzy blob reflecting sunlight. We were unable to take clearer pictures because of its great distance from Earth.
After NASA’s New Horizons probe sailed by Pluto and Charon, this situation changed. The extraterrestrial spacecraft obtained photographs with amazing clarity that had never been seen before. Charon, a satellite of Pluto, was observed to have a ‘red hat.’
Red frequently conjures up images of rust and iron in our minds. Iron, however, might not always be the best solution for such a situation on planets like Pluto, which are so far from the Sun.
A group of experts has now presented their findings, which may shed some light on Charon’s crimson top.
Science and Geophysical Research Letters both published the research.
According to the scientists, tholin-related compounds are probably to blame for Charon’s red crown. These substances were reddened by the Sun’s UV rays, which they then absorbed, and they were deposited near Charon’s north pole.
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