The geology of Pluto consists of the characteristics of the surface, crust, and interior of Pluto. Because of Pluto's distance from Earth, in-depth study from Earth is difficult. Many details about Pluto remained unknown until 14 July 2015, when New Horizons flew through the Pluto system and began transmitting data back to Earth. [1]

Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most- massive known object to directly orbit the Sun .

May 6, 2016 · A spacecraft flies to Pluto, amazing images of this alien disk are sent back to Earth for us to enjoy, and suddenly scientists are telling us about what Pluto is made of—that it has different layers in its crust, that one part of the Pluto crust is weaker or stronger, or older or younger than another.

Feb 19, 2018 · If Pluto swept up carbon as it formed, it could hold a carbon-rich layer beneath its crust. The material could be liquid and asphalt-like, or solid graphite.

Dec 3, 2024 · The frigid temperatures play a crucial role in shaping the geological composition of Pluto. Its core, likely made of rock and metals, is encapsulated by a mantle made of ice. The dwarf planet's crust is made of rock material and other types of ice, such as frozen carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen.

Mar 17, 2016 · Pluto's icy surface shows an astonishing variety of landscapes and evidence of active geological processes, according to scientists studying images and data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto on July 14, 2015.

Early images of Pluto reveal impact craters, nitrogen ice flows, mountains, possible eroded valleys and possible dunes.

May 21, 2014 · With an ocean, Pluto and Charon quickly reach the dual-synchronous state, and we should see signs that the crust rapidly deformed. Evidence for an ocean, even an ancient one, on Pluto would shatter the perception that the outer solar system is frigid and lifeless.

1 day ago · The crust of volcanically active Venus could be churning with convection currents just like the Earth's mantle. ... "Pluto is probably only the second planetary body in the solar system, other ...

6 days ago · If convection is occurring as expected, some areas of the crust should be warmer and less dense than others, differences that would be detectable using high-resolution gravity measurements. But perhaps an even more intriguing target is Pluto, the frozen dwarf planet at the outer reaches of the solar system.