What is the atmosphere like in Pluto?

Pluto travels around the sun in a distorted orbit, ranging from 30 to 50 times as far from the star as Earth. The changing distance to Pluto is thought to affect the planet's atmosphere. When Pluto lies closer to the sun, the ices thaw and when it is farther away, the gases re-freeze and solidify. read more

As Pluto is now traveling away from the Sun, the Pluto atmosphere won’t last long. Astronomers think it will begin to disappear by 2015. This is one of the big reasons NASA sent its New Horizons spacecraft – to study Pluto’s atmosphere before it’s gone for good. read more