When the New Horizons probe flew close to Pluto in 2015 and photographed it, it became clear that this dwarf planet is much more interesting than one might expect. Various landforms indicate geologic processes that were active on Pluto in the past.
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One of the most intriguing areas was the Sputnik Plain (Sputnik Planitia), which is an icy more-or-less flat area in the shape of a heart. This feature has attracted a lot of human attention to images of Pluto. Scientists have also become interested in this area.
A recent study by scientists from Washington University in St. Louis shows that a real ocean may be hiding under this icy plain. This sounds unusual when you consider that Pluto receives extremely little energy from the Sun and is small enough to retain the internal heat left over from its formation. Temperatures on Pluto drop to minus 220 degrees Celsius.
However, certain clues were found in the New Horizons data. In particular, the shape of Pluto corresponds to a body that has or had a liquid component in its interior. And relief formations indicate the presence of water ice beneath the surface. There are also signs of cryovolcanism, as a result of which ice is forced to the surface.
