NASA spacecraft spots ‘heart-shaped’ glacier on Pluto’s surface; Netizens demand ‘make it a planet again’

Pluto was kicked out of the ‘planet family’, yet it lives on in our hearts. On May 28, 2023, NASA posted a beautiful image captured by its New Horizons spacecraft depicting a heart-shaped glacier on the surface of Pluto.

The heart-shaped region, which is composed of nitrogen and methane, is informally called the Tombaugh region. According to the US space agency, it is located on the surface of Pluto, which also contains hills, rocks, valleys, craters and plains, which are believed to be made of methane and nitrogen ice.

In the lower right corner of the little world, which has nothing to do with intergalactic romance, is a partially visible heart.

Previously considered the ninth planet in our solar system, Pluto was downgraded and redefined as a dwarf planet in 2006. Pluto has an average temperature of -387 F (-232 C), and is just 1,400 miles (2250 km) across.

The world is believed to have a rocky interior and perhaps a subsurface ocean, while its surface is covered by ice composed of water, methane and nitrogen.

See also: There may be a mysterious ocean at the edge of our solar system; here’s why

Launched in January 2006, the New Horizons spacecraft reached Pluto in July 2015, flying 7,800 miles above the surface to become the first probe to pass Pluto and its satellites.

Cover Image: NASA