#planetsofthesolarsystem

[lucasciences]

The “heart” of Pluto. About 900 miles across, the heart-shaped Tombaugh Regio is one of the largest geological features on the dwarf planet Pluto. . Consisting of approximately half of the Tombaugh Regio, the Sputnik Planitia is a large ice covered basin with high albedo (reflectivity). . While the latest flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft gave us insights such as the geochemical composition of this region, one of the biggest mysteries that still remains is how did it form? . Two theories have been proposed: 1) solidified gases settled into a once ancient crater, and 2) that accumulation of solidified gases crushed the soft region underneath. . Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI/OWhite et al. / public domain. . #planets #planetsofthesolarsystem #planetpluto #solarsystem #tombaughregio #dwarfplanet #dryice #transneptunianobjects #astronomy #astronomer #astrophysics #astrophysicist #nasa🚀 #nasa #newhorizons https://www.instagram.com/p/B3CwY8ihjR8/?igshid=1lxb4v0tetpih

[lucasciences]

Caloris Basin. Located on the planet Mercury, the Caloris Basin is one of the largest carters ☄️ on the planet. . Formed during the Late Heavy Bombardment that came to an end about 3.8 billion years ago, this large area of the planet shows extreme gravitational anomalies (bottom right) implying subsurface structures - possibly lava tubes. . Intriguingly, the basin experiences some of the highest temperatures of the planet since the Sun 🌞 passes it directly overhead. . How did subsurface features form on Mercury? Most likely due to the contraction of its core as it cooled which can also “seen” due to a lack of volcanic activity on the planet’s surface. . Credit: NASA/JHU/CIW / public domain, NASA / public domain and NASA/Goddard/JHU/CIW / public domain. . #science #planetmercury #mercury #mercuryretrograde #planetsofthesolarsystem #craters #lavatubes #lava #planetarycore #nasa🚀 #astronomy #messenger #nasamessenger #solarsystem https://www.instagram.com/p/B2hX_ufBAH3/?igshid=9sf7jvo17u4l

[lucasciences]

The mysterious sand dunes of Titan. The dunes on Titan are oriented in the opposite direction of the wind on its surface. Recent studies indicate that dunes hold this shape and are not affected by winds because of electrified ⚡️ sand. . However, unlike sand in Earth that is made of silicon dioxide, Titan’s sand is composed of small granules of water ice 💧 that is surrounded by hydrocarbons existing on its surface and atmosphere. Geophysical experiments show that sand of this type can acquire electric charge, thus explaining why dunes on Titan hold so well together. . Credit: Slim Sepp / CC BY-SA 3.0 and NASA/JPL/USGS / public domain. . #saturn #planetsofthesolarsystem #solarsystem #titanmoon #titan #saturnsmoons #sand #electric #charged #cassini https://www.instagram.com/p/B0C23g5hsRt/?igshid=zinfez35pl8c