The Lower Atmosphere of Pluto Revealed

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday March 4, 2009 @02:26AM from the they-should-buy-a-space-heater-haha-get-it-so-funny-blam-blam dept.

Matt_dk writes "Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have gained valuable new insights about the atmosphere of the dwarf planet Pluto. The scientists found unexpectedly large amounts of methane in the atmosphere, and also discovered that the atmosphere is hotter than the surface by about 40 degrees, although it still only reaches a frigid minus 180 degrees Celsius. These properties of Pluto's atmosphere may be due to the presence of pure methane patches or of a methane-rich layer covering the dwarf planet's surface."

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Re:Quite a long and interesting article... by Canazza · 2009-03-04 03:10 · Score: 5, Informative

um, Charon?

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It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
Re:liquid methane by jschen · 2009-03-04 03:58 · Score: 4, Informative

The boiling point depends on the atmospheric pressure. Boiling points are typically reported based on sea level on Earth. With a much lower atmospheric pressure on Pluto, boiling points will drop.