Comments on: Data from NASA’s New Horizons Hints at Underground Ocean on Pluto

By: Madanagopal.V.C.

Madanagopal.V.C. — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:46:50 +0000

Hello Sir, Planet chemistry should be written only after ascertaining its location also with respect to the Sun. Water, of course is a universal ingredient in nature, But the presentation of water on any planet is subject to its distance from the Sun and age, since age brings the heat of the planet to cool down. As far as Pluto is concerned it is very far off Kuiper belt object , where extreme cold atmosphere is a rule. This cold atmosphere can even convert all the gases of the atmosphere into liquids, with the help of u-v ray of the sun, failing which they would present only a gaseous atmosphere. Here the buried ocean in the Pluto, should be some hydrocarbon liquid sea aided by water. Eventually the sea is frozen. Even our ocean water is not pure water but only brine. Thank YOu.

By: Trip

Trip — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:55:16 +0000

Colin you need to keep the chemical reactions in your head under control before worrying about Pluto.

By: Bombasticus

Bombasticus — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 21:08:03 +0000

First of all, Colin, there is no such thing as “mainstream science” and nobody is guessing anything. Scientists are offering ideas that might explain the observed phenomena subject to later verification. Perhaps you should write up a paper explaining your hypothesis and submit it to peer review. Perhaps there’s a Nobel Prize out there with your name on it! At the very least you might function as plucky comic relief.

By: Neptune

Neptune — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 15:06:12 +0000

In reply to J. Robert Bacon. No, the orbit of Pluto is not on the same plane as Neptune's. The orbits do not intersect.

By: CoolDude97

CoolDude97 — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 12:32:36 +0000

In reply to J. Robert Bacon. No, the gravitational fields of Pluto and Neptune push/pull on one another as they move through their orbits such that it prevents them from colliding. It is called an orbital resonance.

By: Colin Bradshaw

Colin Bradshaw — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 12:04:41 +0000

Guess again mainstream science, sticking to a purely mechanical explanation worked for moon’s subject to ‘tidal heating’ such as Io, doesn’t work with Pluto though, it doesn’t have the energy input to sustain it’s atmospheric loss and recent geological activity from a uniform planetary nebulae evolutionary path. Evoking hidden and unconfirmable hypothesis [such as underground oceans] to explain anomalous observations seems to be a continuing trend among the consensus right now. There are no volcanoes, geysers, or other features indicative of internal geological processes, nor the internal heat source to explain it. External processes are the obvious choice to account for all the recent activity we observe in it’s atmosphere and surface.

Our Planetary evolutionary models need updating to include the now frequently observed interaction between planet/moon/star systems that create plasma/electrical driven chemical (H+ ions from solar wind interacting with negative ions of volatiles in the planets atmosphere) & mechanical interactions (eg. surface feature dichotomy, polygonal structures, ionic winds), and the plausible role this has on the evolution of surface features and chemical composition of planets.

Pluto is an extreme example as it enjoys an almost cometary-like orbit in an area of the heliosphere which is quite different to most planets. It’s quite possible the variable amount of atmospheric loss and recent geological activity is due to the energy and chemical reactions created and influenced by it’s highly variable and different plasma/electrical environment rather than the rather less variable and quite pitiful amount of UV radiation it receives. Charon may indicate the two objects have different histories, the two hinting how different ages and compositions of planets play an important role in how these objects interact with their environment in space and evolve over time.

By: J. Robert Bacon

J. Robert Bacon — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:43:03 +0000

Pluto is sometimes closer to the Sun than Neptune. Is it mathematically possible that Pluto could ever collide with Neptune?

By: Loren Avey

Loren Avey — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 17:33:58 +0000

Water was once thought of as almost non existent in the Universe except on planet Earth. Now it has been found everywhere we look. Could life be the same way??