The solar system beyond Earth is often depicted as a dark, hostile and barren place where you absolutely wouldn’t want to get stranded. But the latest results from a pair of intrepid explorers have once again confounded the expectations of planetary scientists. They reveal blue skies over Pluto and an ancient, tranquil lake on Mars that could have supported life.
This time last year, our best picture of Pluto was a grey, fuzzy undistinguished blob with no redeeming features. What a difference a 15 minute fly-by makes.
Since the New Horizons mission started returning data in July, we have seen amazing landscapes, including a vast and smooth icy plain bordered by jumbled blocks of ice and rock, as well as patterned ground that has been described as having a texture like a snakeskin.
