The idea that a dwarf planet like Pluto could sustain life seemed ridiculous, till unbelievable new discoveries were made. Pluto lies in the Kuiper Belt, outside the solar system. Although it doesn’t look like this place could nurture life, evidence from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft proves otherwise.

Is Pluto Truly Habitable?

The habitability of an environment is generally evaluated with regards to factors such as organic molecules, liquid water, and energy available. Without a doubt, Pluto is rich in energy. Scientists were well-aware of Pluto’s density prior to the 2015 study. They were able to conclude that rocks accounted for two-third of Pluto’s mass, and the rest was due to ice.

Pluto gains most of its energy from the radioactive decay of rocks. When rocks undergo radioactive decay, they release heat over geological time. This process generates s enough energy to warm the rocks in Pluto’s interior, close to their melting point. Other heat-sources like gravitational energy may provide minor contributions to additional warming.

Organic moles too are present in Pluto, with its atmosphere comprising 0.3% methane. According to discoveries made by New Horizons, UV radiation from the sun separates these methane molecules. This produces a number of simple hydrocarbons such as acetylene, ethylene, and ethane. Methane ice is present on the dwarf planet’s surface. The reddish material on it is most likely to be hydrocarbon haze particles that are settling out from the atmosphere. Therefore it’s safe to say that the surface, at least, consists of organic molecules that can support life. Still, there’s no evidence of a mechanism to transport these organic molecules to an ocean. However, researches about comets suggest that the interior of objects outside the solar system may also contain similar components.

So now, the only issue left is liquid water. As explained above, from the amount of heat released from the radioactive decay on Pluto, all the ice on Pluto could be melted several times over. Although it was evident that a subsurface could exist under thick ice, there was no proof that an ocean actually existed. However, if a connecting shell removes heat at a significant speed, the ocean might never form. This is why spacecraft observations were vital to arrive at a proper conclusion.

Do Oceans Exist On Pluto?

Three main lines of evidence prove that a subsurface might be present on Pluto. The first proof is derived from Pluto’s surface geology. Large cracks and fissures on Pluto’s surface suggest that Pluto has experienced global expansion to a small extent. This planetwide swelling can be produced by refreezing a subsurface ocean. When the water cools down and changes its physical state back to the ice, its volume increases. Due to this, its surface is pushed outwards, pressurizing the water underneath. When this pressure exceeds a certain amount, water might erupt on the surface. This phenomenon is called ‘cryovolcanism’.

Due to the influence of gravity from its large moon Charon, Pluto must have spun down substantially over time. Therefore, Pluto can be a candidate for such a fossil bulge. However, a fossil bulge was not detected on Pluto by New Horizons. Out of many explanations provided by scientists to remove such a bulge, the most realistic one is to develop a subsurface ocean. Since the ice shell above is too weak to support the bulge, it will eventually collapse.

Third Line Of Evidence Is The Most Complex

The final line of evidence which begins from a bright basin known called Sputnik Planitia is the most complicated of all. The reason for the bright appearance of this region is the nitrogen ice supplied by nitrogen glaciers. Sputnik Planitia’s location is also significant. It lies directly opposite the point on Pluto that continuously overlooks Charon. If an extra mass such as a large mountain is kept on Pluto’s surface, Pluto would roll over till that mountain reaches the location of Sputnik Planitia. This phenomenon is known as true polar wander or TPW. As a result of TPW, Pluto’s surface undergoes changes when responding to movements of extra mass. When this is connected with surface expansion, fractures occur, and they match those predicted by computer models very well.

Therefore, if it represents an area with extra mass, Sputnik’s location makes sense perfectly. But, the way the basin gains an extra mass is a problem, because it is a hole in the ground. Solid nitrogen being a little denser than liquid ice helps a bit. However, this is of no use if the nitrogen layer is unbelievably thick.

The thinning of ice underneath can be explained this way: When the shell is thin, denser water replaces lighter ice. This causes an excess of mass. The combination of nitrogen loading from the top and a thinned ice shell beneath easily produces an excess of mass, causing TPW.

How Can We Confirm That Oceans Exist On Pluto?

It’s possible for a spacecraft orbiting Pluto to determine whether Sputnik Planitia represents a mass excess. However, this alone isn’t enough to prove that a subsurface ocean exists on Pluto. Since the mass excess, or the ocean lies at depth and the mass deficit, or the basin lies is on the surface, their opposing contributions to gravity do not cancel each other out. Therefore, the presence of an ocean and the thickness of the ice shell can be determined by measuring how gravity distorts the orbital path of a spacecraft.

To What Extent Is Pluto Habitable?

Thanks to the presence of a warm interior, organic molecules, and most probably a subsurface ocean, Pluto fulfills the basic necessities for habitability. However, Pluto isn’t the best for life. Europa or Enceladus are definitely better choices, considering their oceans that are topped by thin and moving ice shells. But, when compared to large moons like Titan and Ganymede where direct contact between the ocean and the rocks below is blocked by a thick, high-pressure ice layer, Pluto is a much better choice.