Surface feature · Pluto
Sputnik Planitia
The vast nitrogen-ice plain that forms the western lobe of Pluto's bright 'heart'. Its ice slowly churns in convection cells and flows like a glacier, keeping the surface young.
Highlights
- ›Pluto's churning nitrogen-ice glacier
Explored by
Knowledge connections
- Member of groupIce Plain & Glacier
- Located onPluto
- Associated withNew Horizons
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.