Reported from Science Alert, Thursday (7/10/2021), the disappearance of the atmosphere on Pluto occurs due to a drop in surface temperature which causes nitrogen to freeze again.
The assessment was carried out using what is known as an occultation using a distant star as a backlight for telescopes on Earth to see what was happening on Pluto.
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It is an observation technique used widely in astronomy. “Scientists have used occultation to monitor atmospheric changes Pluto since 1988,” said planetary scientist Eliot Young of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Texas.
The New Horizons mission gained an excellent density profile on Pluto when it passed through 2015. Density continued to increase for decades but by the end of 2018 it was no longer the case.
The largest nitrogen glacier known is Sputnik Planitia, the western part of the heart-shaped Tombaugh Region visible on Pluto’s surface.
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In recent years, astronomers have been able to confirm that there are snowcapped mountains on Pluto, and a liquid ocean beneath its surface. These two discoveries provide insight into how Pluto’s atmosphere is.
The 2018 observations were aided by a ‘central flash’ which showed that the telescope was looking directly at the Pluto while measuring its atmospheric calculations.
“The central flash seen in 2018 is by far the strongest anyone has seen in a Pluto occultation. It gives us very accurate knowledge of Pluto’s shadow path on Earth,” he said.
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