New Horizons Detects Liquid Nitrogen Flow on Pluto

New Horizons has found the first evidence that liquid has flowed across Pluto’s surface in recent history. Dark patches on the massive Sputnik Planitia glacier match the appearance of liquid nitrogen rising through cracks from deep beneath the ice. Computer simulations show that nitrogen can melt at the glacier’s base and move upward through narrow conduits, creating the observed features. This discovery suggests that Pluto’s interior can generate enough heat to melt nitrogen, allowing it to circulate like a fluid. This challenges the view of Pluto as a static, frozen world and implies that its surface and atmosphere are reshaped by ongoing geological processes.