Sputnik Planitia

E110985

geological feature impact basin plain planitia

Sputnik Planitia is a vast, bright, heart-shaped nitrogen-ice plain on Pluto, notable for its smooth, crater-free surface and evidence of active glacial and convective processes.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

All labels observed (3)

Label	Occurrences
Tombaugh Regio	3
Sputnik Planitia canonical	1
Sputnik Planum	1

Statements (46)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	geological feature ⓘ impact basin ⓘ plain ⓘ planitia ⓘ
adjacentTo	mountainous water-ice blocks ⓘ
ageEstimate	surface younger than 10 million years ⓘ
albedo	high ⓘ
approximateDiameter	1000 kilometers ⓘ
approximateLength	about 1200 kilometers ⓘ
approximateWidth	about 1000 kilometers ⓘ
climateRole	major volatile reservoir on Pluto ⓘ
contains	dark wind streaks at margins ⓘ glacial flow features ⓘ pits and troughs ⓘ
craterDensity	very low ⓘ
discoveredBy	New Horizons ⓘ surface form: New Horizons spacecraft
evidenceFor	active glacial processes ⓘ ongoing resurfacing ⓘ recent geological activity ⓘ solid-state convection ⓘ
exploredBy	New Horizons ⓘ surface form: New Horizons mission
flybyDate	2015-07-14 ⓘ
governingBodyForName	International Astronomical Union ⓘ
gravityAnomaly	positive mass anomaly ⓘ
hemisphere	Pluto’s encounter hemisphere ⓘ
hostBody	Pluto ⓘ surface form: dwarf planet Pluto
interiorStructure	thick volatile-ice layer ⓘ
locatedOn	Pluto ⓘ
marginComposition	water-ice mountains ⓘ
nameApprovalYear	2017 ⓘ
namedAfter	Sputnik 1 ⓘ
nameLanguage	Latin ⓘ
orbitalBodyType	dwarf planet ⓘ
partOf	Sputnik Planitia self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Tombaugh Regio
polygonCellsCause	convection in nitrogen ice ⓘ
previousInformalName	Sputnik Planitia self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Sputnik Planum
relativeLocation	north of Pluto’s equator ⓘ
rotationEffect	likely influenced Pluto’s true polar wander ⓘ
shape	roughly heart-shaped ⓘ
surfaceAppearance	bright ⓘ smooth ⓘ
surfaceComposition	carbon monoxide ice ⓘ methane ice ⓘ nitrogen ice ⓘ
surfacePattern	polygonal cells ⓘ
topographicCharacter	basin ⓘ

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pluto → surfaceFeature → Sputnik Planitia ⓘ

this entity surface form: Tombaugh Regio

Clyde Tombaugh → hasPlutonianFeatureNamedAfter → Sputnik Planitia ⓘ

this entity surface form: Tombaugh Regio

Sputnik Planitia → partOf → Sputnik Planitia self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Tombaugh Regio

Sputnik Planitia → previousInformalName → Sputnik Planitia self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Sputnik Planum