Marvel at the substance found under Pluto

Asphalt can exist under the crust of Pluto. Researchers are considering the possibility that the planet may contain a layer of organic material beneath its surface that is heated to thick plastic, like tar.

The idea is still theoretical but may influence scientists' understanding of how Pluto is formed and developed.

McKinnon, a member of the New Horizons spacecraft team, said that organic matter under this shell could be amorphous or graphite. The product may also look like thick asphalt.

Asphalt can exist under the crust of Pluto.(Image source: Phys).

McKinnon stressed that this is a theoretical conjecture, not a factual confirmation. When he came up with the idea, his goal was to bring the possibility of an existential organic class to get the attention of scientists in the hope of creating other models and experiments that could be investigated. whether such a class could exist on Pluto.

McKinnon decided to review this idea. He pointed out missions to visit comets, such as the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission recently and the mission Giotto lasted decades of visiting. This mission reveals that comets are rich in carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

"There are many organic substances in comets," McKinnon said of carbon-based compounds.

Like, comets form in the Solar System. That led him to wonder if Pluto might have some of the same organic material when it was born.

Earth contains significant amounts of carbon in coal, peat and oil. When prehistoric plants and animals die, they form layers below the ground. Because bacteria, fungi and other bacteria may have broken them down in the form of sediments, coal mines until today. But that does not mean that scientists will start looking for traces of the forest on Pluto. While ancient life may be the source of earth coal, it is not the only way to produce carbon-rich materials on Pluto.

McKinnon said: "If it's true, these things have interesting properties." If it's like hot asphalt, it will be liquid and can transport heat very easily. "