On Thursday, NASA released a picture of Pluto's interesting North Pole, proving that although its no longer a planet, its still an interesting sight to behold, according to USA Today.
Using its spacecraft New Horizons, NASA was able to catch special imagery, from about 21,100 miles away, of Pluto's surface, noting its unique geological features. Around the North Pole of the former planet, long canyons of considerable age streak across the surface. There's also deep pits that stretch out, nearly 50 miles wide and 2.5 miles deep, according to Engadget.
Researchers took note of the distinct color changes on Pluto's surface, picked up by the spacecraft's camera and infrared tools. A yellow tint was seen on Pluto's higher elevations, distinguishing the area from the rest of the dwarf planet's bluish gray.
Experts theorize as to why these changes in topography occur, connecting the color change to methane gasses and solar radiation, according to The Verge.
"One possibility is that the yellow terrains may correspond to older methane deposits that have been more processed by solar radiation than the bluer terrain," said Will Grundy, leader for the New Horizons composition team.
