For additional details, see the online press release from the University of Western Ontario and the press release from the University of Calgary. This view of the planetary pair was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1994. Click on image for larger view. While Pluto s distance keeps astronauts from retrieving samples of its surface for study, recent work by an international team has brought insight to the tiny planet s surface. Not surprisingly, these temperature shifts are tied to variations in the planet s albedo.
Brighter regions have lower temperatures than darker ones.
However, the temperature and albedo do not perfectly mirror one another. An offset in the thermal curve relative to the visible light curve has led Lellouch and his team to deduce that the uppermost surfaces of the dark areas are probably porous. For additional details, see the online press release . Weekend Splashdown Four engine burns will lower the altitude of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory forcing it to enter the atmosphere. The first burn was performed on May 30th.