Despite not being an actual planet, Pluto does have a sizable ocean.

By delving further into Pluto’s secrets, astronomers are uncovering convincing evidence of a massive ocean of liquid water concealed beneath the ice surface of the dwarf planet.

What’s under the ice in the ocean?

This new research was led by Alex Nguyen, a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis studying Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences.

Together with his colleagues, they examined Pluto’s subterranean ocean using mathematical models and photos taken by NASA’s New Horizons probe.

The study, which was co-authored by Patrick McGovern of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, clarifies a protracted argument on the likelihood of liquid water being on Pluto.

Pluto is not only a frozen rock.

Pluto was found in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 after it was first identified as the ninth planet in our solar system.

Size and orbit

Pluto travels 5.9 billion kilometers around the Sun on average, and it takes 248 Earth years for one orbit to complete. With a diameter of roughly 2,372 kilometers, it is smaller than the moon of Earth.

The ocean on Pluto powers cryovolcanoes

It was long thought by planetary scientists that liquid water could not exist on Pluto due to its extraordinarily frigid surface temperature of -220°C, which freezes even gases like methane and nitrogen.
Nguyen says, “Pluto has a little body. Simple calculations would indicate that it is frozen solid to the core because it should have lost nearly all of its heat soon after it was produced.”

Prominent scientists like William B. McKinnon, a professor at WUSTL, have theorized that Pluto probably possesses an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface according to new evidence, such as the existence of cryovolcanoes that spew ice and water vapor.
According to Nguyen, “Although there is still some debate, it’s now generally accepted that Pluto has an ocean.”

Building a model of Pluto’s hidden mysteries

The study by Nguyen and McGovern explores the characteristics of Pluto’s subterranean ocean in greater detail. To explain the fissures and bulges in the ice covering the Sputnik Platina Basin, they developed mathematical models.

When a meteor struck Pluto billions of years ago, this basin was created. According to their models, a water ice shell that is 40–80 kilometers (25–50 miles) thick sits on top of the ocean.

It is possible that this thick layer of ice serves as a blanket of protection, keeping the inner ocean from freezing over completely.

Based on the surface fissures they saw, the researchers also estimated the ocean’s likely salinity or density.

“We estimated a sort of Goldilocks zone where the density and shell thickness is just right,” Nguyen says.

According to their research, Pluto’s ocean is, at most, 8% denser than Earth’s seawater—roughly equivalent to Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Humans would float easily in Pluto’s ocean if they could get there in some way.

The ocean’s significance on Pluto

The finding of an ocean of liquid water on Pluto has profound effects on our understanding of the solar system’s outer regions.

Nguyen declares emphatically, “From my perspective, it’s a planet.” Pluto is an interesting subject for scientific study due to its unusual properties and capacity to host liquid water, regardless of its official categorization.

Although space agencies do not currently have any plans to return to Pluto, the results of this study provide a foundation for further investigation and learning.

The finding of a liquid water ocean beneath Pluto’s ice surface casts doubt on our knowledge of this far-off planet and creates new opportunities for space travel.

The ocean on Pluto is revolutionary for planetary research.

In conclusion, we must remain open-minded about the potential that may be concealed beneath the depths of our solar system as we investigate Pluto further and try to solve its riddles.

The underlying structure and composition of Pluto are highlighted by this amazing research by Alex Nguyen and Patrick McGovern, which also challenges our presumptions about the possibility of liquid water and possibly even extraterrestrial life.

Pluto’s hidden ocean is a powerful reminder that there are still a lot of mysteries in the universe that need to be uncovered as we look to the future of space travel.

Pluto may not be a real planet, but it has a real big ocean (msn.com)

The underlying structure and composition of are highlighted by this amazing research by Alex Nguyen and Patrick McGovern, which also challenges our presumptions about the possibility of liquid water and possibly even extraterrestrial life.The underlying structure and composition of are highlighted by this amazing research by Alex Nguyen and Patrick McGovern, which also challenges our presumptions about the possibility of liquid water and possibly even extraterrestrial life.