New Surprises from Mysterious Pluto

Scientific American ^ | 07/10/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

Pluto, the most distant of the nine planets in our solar system, has piqued the curiosity of astronomers once again. It seems the planet's atmosphere is expanding as it travels away from the sun, rather than contracting as expected. The only planet yet to have been visited by spacecraft, Pluto is relatively poorly known. But when it is aligned with the stars just so, observations from Earth are possible. Analyses of data collected last year during one of these rare configurations revealed the surprising atmospheric findings, which were published today in the journal Nature.

Because Pluto is currently journeying swiftly away from the sun, researchers thought that its temperature would fall and its atmosphere would subsequently collapse. Instead, James Elliot of M.I.T. and his colleagues found, the planet's temperature has increased by one degree Celsius since 1989, when it was closest to Sol.

In explanation, the researchers note that temperature variations in planetary surface layers tend to lag behind solar heating fluctuations. Thus although Pluto has been moving away from the sun's heat, the cooling effects of that distancing may not show up for another 10 years.

"In the long run, cooling and atmospheric contraction are inevitable," writes William Hubbard of the University of Arizona in an accompanying commentary. Further elucidation of what is going on, however, will require a spacecraft mission to this most remote planet, he asserts. "Pluto's orbit over the next few years offers an opportunity to learn more about this planet, at a time when technological developments make it feasible to consider a mission to it," Hubbard remarks. "But both time and money are in short supply." --Kate Wong

© 1996-2003 Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved.

[bedolido]

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[eastsider]

[balrog666]

Ping.

[CCCV]

", researchers thought that its temperature would fall and its atmosphere would subsequently collapse. Instead, James Elliot of M.I.T. and his colleagues found, the planet's temperature has increased by one degree Celsius since 1989"

Couldn't possably be that God created it that way...

[bert]

....In explanation, the researchers note that temperature variations in planetary surface layers tend to lag behind solar heating fluctuations.....

The report failed to note or to consider the overall carbon usage that could contribute to the temperature change. The effects of global warming were apparently totally ignored.

[muffaletaman]

Maybe the sun is getting "hotter" - radiating more energy somehow... We know from the cool Maunder minimum that the solar constant isn't constant.

[CCCV]

"cool Maunder minimum "

Haven't heard of that - found it, gotta look at it.

Thanks...

[jae471]

Well, Pluto's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, but it does contain methane, so you're not too far off -- global warming due to greenhouse effect.

[martin_fierro]

Hijo de Pluta. <|:)~

[genefromjersey]

Does Mickey know about this ?

[bedolido]

Hijo de Pluta. <|:)~

Guess gas could be making him hotter.

[TigerTale]

Couldn't possably be that God created it that way...

The article cites observed discrepencies between the way Pluto is behaving and the way some scientists expected it to behave. The scientists are obviously aware of their ignorance and are searching for a rational explanation. Are you proposing that there is no rational explanation--that God just handles Pluto differently? Do the laws of physics cease to exist on Pluto--much like on the stovetop of the witness in My Cousin Vinnie?

I don't see the sense in, or the justification for, your sarcastic remark.

[Consort]

Space friction. It's not getting enough attention.

[Consort]

...and the aether is warming up in this sector of the galaxy.

[ladtx]

...the planet's temperature has increased by one degree Celsius since 1989,...

Well, we've done it now, causing global warming on Pluto. Ban the SUV's, stop clear cutting the forests on Pluto. Omigod the sky is falling again.

[dead]

I don't see the sense in, or the justification for, your sarcastic remark.

God made him sarcastic.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

. "Pluto's orbit over the next few years offers an opportunity to learn more about this planet, at a time when technological developments make it feasible to consider a mission to it," Hubbard remarks. "But both time and money are in short supply."

They couldnt even get a lander on Mars the last couple of times they tried, as I recall - yeah, send a mission to Pluto...

[CCCV]

"I don't see the sense in, or the justification for, your sarcastic remark"

I'm fairly sure that the laws of physics apply pretty much anywhere you are. I'll agree my sarcasm was misplaced and apologise. It was primaraly directed at Scientific American who normally scorns anything that might remotely suggest a flaw in the billions and billions of years. this particular piece doesn't address that at all though.

I did learn something new from Muffaletaman out of the post.

I'm new here and just learning the "post culture" for this board.

[CCCV]

"God made him sarcastic"

Nope, I seem to have developed that bad habit on my own.
I really didn't mean it as sarcastic as it apparently was taken.
It's my first day here and it appears that I got off to a really bad start.