Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found that a mysterious blue haze around Pluto plays a critical role in controlling its climate and atmosphere. This discovery could indicate that other planets, including Earth, may also have complex, hazy histories. Notably, findings from NASA's New Horizons mission in 2015 revealed Pluto's intricate geography, which displays dynamic seasonal changes in ice. An unusual aspect is Pluto's thin atmosphere leaking into space, with some gases being captured by its moon Charon. The presence of a nitrogen and methane haze affects how solar radiation warms the planet’s surface.
"This is unique in the solar system," lead author Tanguy Bertrand, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory in France, stated. "It's a new kind of climate, let's say."
NASA's New Horizons mission revealed that Pluto was far from a "dead" world, featuring a complex geography defined by mountains, glaciers, and frozen dunes.
Pluto appeared to be leaking copious amounts of its already thin atmosphere into space, something not yet witnessed elsewhere in the solar system.
A cooling haze made of nitrogen and methane surrounds Pluto's atmosphere, absorbing solar radiation during the day, according to predictions from a 2017 study.
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