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Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer vs alternatives
Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer animates the rise-and-sink convection cycle of Pluto's polygonal ice cells in one interactive 3D scene - a geology textbook diagram wins as a fixed printed reference with the underlying equations; NASA's New Horizons mission page wins for the full flyby narrative and raw imagery.
| Option | Strength | Access | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer (this page) | Animated rise-and-sink convection cycle with a scrubbable timeline and trough highlighting in one 3D scene | Free, in browser | Cell layout and staggered phase are a teaching device, not a fluid-dynamics solve |
| Geology textbook diagram | Fixed printed reference with the underlying convection equations | Textbooks/references | Cannot be replayed or scrubbed through a convective cycle |
| NASA New Horizons mission page | Full 2015 flyby narrative and raw imagery of the real surface | Free, official source | No animated 3D teaching view of the convection mechanism itself |
Key published figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Sputnik Planitia extent | about 1,400 x 1,200 km |
| Polygonal cell width | 20-40 km, average about 33 km (McKinnon et al. 2016, Nature) |
| Overturn timescale | about 500,000 years |
| Surface temperature | about -230C (about 44K) |
Start with the step-by-step guide or when to use. Open the Sputnik Planitia 3D Explorer.
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