Ep 1. Pluto: Back From The Dead

Pluto: Back From The Dead is the first episode of the seventh season of the fascinating documentary series, Space's Deepest Secrets. In this episode, the team of experts explores Pluto, the dwarf planet which was once considered as the ninth planet of our solar system but was later reclassified as a dwarf planet.

Pluto is the farthest planet from our sun and is located in the Kuiper belt. It was first discovered in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh and was the first planet discovered after Neptune. Pluto has always been an enigma for astronomers due to its distance and small size, and speculations about its geological and atmospheric features were always up for debate. However, in 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft finally reached Pluto and sent back the first-ever close-up images of the dwarf planet, shedding light on its true nature.

The episode delves into the history of Pluto and its significance in our understanding of our solar system. It explores the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet and the controversies surrounding the decision. The team takes viewers through the journey of the New Horizons spacecraft and its mission to Pluto. The spacecraft travelled for nearly a decade, covering a distance of over three billion miles to reach Pluto.

Viewers get a glimpse of the mission control centre at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University during the New Horizons flyby. The experts explain how the spacecraft performs a flyby of Pluto, transmitting data back to Earth, taking high-resolution images, and measuring the planet's surface and atmosphere. The close-up images reveal fascinating geological features on Pluto's surface, including a heart-shaped region that has raised many questions.

In addition, the episode covers the secrets of Pluto's mysterious atmosphere, which is made up of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. The team speculates on the possibility of Pluto having a subsurface ocean, as suggested by the data recorded by the New Horizons spacecraft. The episode also explores the significance of Pluto's discovery and its impact on our understanding of the outer solar system, the Kuiper belt, and the possibility of finding life outside Earth.

Overall, Pluto: Back From The Dead is an engaging and informative episode that takes viewers on a journey through the history, discovery, and exploration of one of the solar system's most enigmatic bodies. It sheds light on the significance of Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet, the New Horizons mission, and the secrets revealed by the spacecraft's flyby. It is a must-watch for space enthusiasts who want to learn more about the mysteries of our solar system and the fascinating world of Pluto.