Science ka Adda Episode 1: Pluto – A New World

The episode examines the latest pictures from New Horizons spacecraft and the mysteries surrounding Pluto.

Is there life elsewhere in the universe? How did our Solar System form? Are there black holes at the centre of galaxies? How long do stars live? These are just some of the questions that ‘Science ka Adda’ (Cafe Scientifique) and its host, yours truly, seeks to address.


Pluto was discovered in 1930. Up until 2015, we did not know much about this little planet in our Solar System. The flyby of The New Horizon spacecraft has revealed Pluto to be a fascinating object hosting tall mountains made of ice, smooth plains with nitrogen ice flows, and a big moon Charon that appears six times deeper than the Grand Canyon.

In this episode of ‘Science ka Adda(SkA), I will examine some of the latest pictures from New Horizons spacecraft, and talk about the mysteries that these pictures have opened up in our understanding of Pluto. And of course, I convey my absolute support for redeeming Pluto’s status as a planet!
WRITTEN BY: Salman Hameed
The author is an associate professor of integrated science and humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts, USA. He runs a Youtube channel of astronomy videos (KianaatAstronomyInUrdu) and tweets @salmanahameed (https://twitter.com/salmanahameed)

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.