NASA probe sees weird ‘dotted line’ on Pluto — then signal cuts out

John B Knapp
Sep 8, 2018 · 1 min read

A NASA probe sent back mystifying images of the surface of dwarf planet pluto — then the signal cut out.

The probe sent back a strange image of a ‘dotted line’ on the surface of the planet, which scientists admit is a ‘real puzzle’.

The craft’s main computer malfunctioned hours later, and scientists are now working to revive the craft.

The probe is powered by a Star Trek-style ion drive — and has ‘slept’ for nine years on its journey to Pluto.

Over the next few months, New Horizons is set to unlock the secrets of Pluto, a distant, icy world which has never been seen except as a distant dot in our telescopes.

‘It’s a real puzzle — we don’t know what the spots are, and we can’t wait to find out,’ said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern.

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