Atmospheric pressure on surface of Pluto is more than 80,000 times less than Earth: study

What is the news?

According to a study, Pluto’s atmospheric pressure on its surface is 80,000 times less than that on Earth.

What is the study about?

Scientists calculated the atmospheric pressure by observing the stellar occultations of Pluto using 3.6-m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) (India’s largest optical telescope) and 1.3-m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) telescopes located at Devasthal, Nainital.

Note: In astronomy, an occultation happens when a celestial object gets hidden from the view of the observer due to another celestial object passing in between them.

What did the scientists find out?

Scientists found that Pluto’s atmospheric pressure on its surface is 80,000 times less than that on Earth.

The study also confirms earlier findings that Pluto suffers from intense seasonal episodes because of a large depression on Pluto known as Sputnik Planitia.

For instance, Pluto’s poles remain for decades in permanent sunlight or darkness over its 248-year long orbital period leading to strong effects on its Nitrogen (N2) atmosphere that is mainly controlled by vapour pressure equilibrium with the surface N2 ice. 

Moreover, as Pluto is now moving away from the Galactic plane as seen from Earth, stellar occultations by Pluto are becoming increasingly rare, making this event a decisive one.

Source: This post is based on the article “Atmospheric pressure on surface of Pluto is more than 80,000 times less than Earth: study” published in PIB on 17th Feb 2022.