Pluto's Heart: Unveiling the Violent Cosmic Origins

Researchers have proposed a scenario for the formation of Pluto's iconic "heart" feature, Tombaugh Regio, suggesting that it was created by a primordial collision with a planetary body over 400 miles wide. This collision, termed a "splat," resulted in the formation of Sputnik Planitia, a teardrop-shaped region filled with nitrogen ice. The study challenges previous theories about Pluto's geological evolution and the existence of a deep subsurface ocean, offering new insights into the dwarf planet's history. The findings could also have implications for understanding other objects in the Kuiper Belt.