Pluto's atmosphere may be collapsing due to solar distance

New research suggests that Pluto’s atmosphere may be undergoing a collapse as the dwarf planet moves further away from the Sun. Due to its elliptical orbit, Pluto is entering colder, darker regions of the outer solar system, a phase that could cause its nitrogen-dominated atmosphere to freeze out.

Data analyzed from 2017 to 2023 indicates that while atmospheric pressure remained constant between the 2015 New Horizons flyby and mid-2021, it dropped by 16% between mid-2021 and July 2023. Scientists are monitoring these changes using stellar occultations, a method where researchers observe how light from distant stars changes as Pluto passes in front of them.

This atmospheric behavior is linked to the exchange of nitrogen particles between the surface ice and the air. The current trend suggests the atmosphere may continue to diminish during the upcoming Plutonian winter.