Pluto’s Atmosphere and Temperature Increasing

Little Pluto just keeps on surprising astronomers.

Now moving away from the sun during its 248-year-long orbit, Pluto’s atmosphere should be contracting and possibly disappearing.

But an observation in August showed that the mostly nitrogen atmosphere has grown, and the temperature of the planet, some 400 degrees below zero, has increased by more than 1 degree.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology astronomer James Elliot, who led the group that made the finding reported in this week’s issue of Nature, said Pluto may still be showing the effects of being at its closest to the sun.