Carbon Monoxide in Pluto's atmosphere

Dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 and at that time considered as the smallest and farthest planet orbiting the Sun. In 2006, the IAU General Assembly in 2006, astronomers classify in terms of re-definition and define the planet Pluto a dwarf planet. This dwarf planet also had the privilege because of the other dwarf planets, he is the only one that has an atmosphere. Atmosphere at Pluto was discovered in 1988 when he dims the light of distant stars before Pluto passed in front of it or make a transit to the distant stars.

The latest results of observations of James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii 15 meter signal looks strong carbon monoxide gas. Earlier, in Pluto's atmosphere is known to very thick and its thickness is estimated to reach lbih of 100 km. Recent data shows just the atmosphere on Pluto is much thicker again reached more than 3000 km, one-fourth the distance between Pluto and its largest satellite Charon. Gases in the atmosphere was unusually cold around -220 ยบ Celsius and that was a surprise to astronomers is that they have caught the signal strength is more than 2 times the upper limit can yag in other research groups that you maintain a 30-meter IRAM telescope in Spain in 2000.

Changes in brightness over the last decade surprised the researchers. The data received showed that the size of Pluto's atmosphere in the carbon abundance monoksidanya grow or increase rapidly. Similar changes never seen before but only in the lowest layer of the atmosphere where the methane also appear to vary in thickness. Methane is another gas in Pluto that have been identified positively.

Carbon Monoxide and Pluto
In 1989, Pluto is at a distance closest to the Sun. Genesis is quite "rare" unusual considering aka Pluto takes 248 years to complete one orbit. Carbon monoxide gas is expected to be the result of solar heating of the surface of the ice which then evaporated during the period. Atmosphere that was formed among the most vulnerable in our solar system, given the uppermost layer of bubbles (bertamabah in size) to the space.

Menuru Dr. Christiane Helling from the University of St Andrews, the height of the carbon monoxide they see fit with the model of the solar wind strip Pluto's atmosphere.

Unlike the gas carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide acts as a coolant instead of methane as it absorbs sunlight and produces heat. The balance between these two gases are trace elements of nitrogen-dominated atmosphere, and very important in determining the fate of Pluto for a long season for decades. The new atmosphere of carbon monoxide was found to be an important key to slowing the rate of loss of atmosphere on Pluto. But, if the cooling effect is too large, the result will occur rain and snow throughout the nitrogen gas will freeze and fall to the surface.

According to Greaves, cold atmospheric conditions on Pluto who get the greatest influence on the heat generated from the sun can give important clues about how the basics of physics to work and become a case study for understanding the Earth's atmosphere.