Infinity & Beyond — Episode 16: Pluto’s icy heart

Join host Abigail Bollenbach as she dives into the history and features of Pluto's iconic heart.
By | Published: February 25, 2021 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Pluto’s icy “heart” is the distant world’s most recognizable feature. The region, composed of two distinct lobes, is shaped by what looks like a giant impact basin the size of Texas. 

The heart’s western lobe, brought into clear focus by the New Horizon’s spacecraft, consists of a 600-mile-wide (1,000 kilometers) ice plain called Sputnik Planitia, which is the largest glacier in the solar system. 

Meanwhile, the eastern lobe of Pluto’s heart is a sprawling region of highlands that holds many nitrogen-rich glaciers that extend into the basin. 

In this weeks episode of Infinity & Beyond, host Abigail Bollenbach will take you for a quick dive into Pluto’s icy heart. Stay up-to-date on the latest space and astronomy news at astronomy.com/news. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.