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ByMarciaDunn TheAssociatedPress CAPECANAVERAL,FLA. Ev- idence is mounting for an ocean at Pluto, buried be- neath its frozen heart. Scientists said Wednes- day that Pluto may have rolled over on its axis eons ago, the result of tidal forces with jumbo moon Charon. The extra weight of an un- derground sea is the most likely explanation, they said. These latest findings are based on observations by NASA's New Horizons, which made an unprece- dented flyby of Pluto last year. The spacecraft is now 365 million miles from Pluto and enroute to a 2019 close approach of another faraway orb. Published in this week's journal Nature, the studies focus on a 600-mile basin in the left lobe of Pluto's heart- shaped region. This basin is known as Sputnik Planitia, named after the Russian satellite that launched the Space Age in 1957. Sputnik Planitia is aligned with Pluto's tidal axis, so much so that it's un- likely to be coincidence, ac- cording to the researchers. More likely, the nitrogen ice-coated basin has extra mass — below the surface — to cause Pluto to reorient itself and have Sputnik Pla- nitia on the opposite side of the dwarf planet as Charon. "It's a big elliptical hole in the ground, so the ex- tra weight must be hiding somewhere beneath the surface. And an ocean is a natural way to get that," lead author Francis Nimmo of the University of Califor- nia, Santa Cruz, said in a statement. ASTRONOMY Pluto's frozen heart may hide underground ocean NASA A combination of images captured by the New Horizons spacecra with enhanced colors to show differences in the composition and texture of Pluto's surface. Werollupoursleevesforourcommunities. Meet us: RabobankAmerica.com/WeAreRabobank Connect with us Allacross California, there are communities grounded in agriculture that share our values. That's where you'll find us. " " — Joel Arnold Food & Ag Relationship Manager Yuba City, CA Chico 237WestEastAvenue (530) 899-2347 Chico 2041 Forest Avenue (530) 891-3494 Corning 950 Highway 99W (530) 824-3966 Magalia 14001 Lakeridge Circle (530) 873-6854 Oroville 2227 Myers Street (530) 532-0800 Paradise 672 Pearson Road (530) 877-0857 RedBluff 500 Luther Road (530) 528-3060 Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate Shop Equipped With 4SmogMachines For Fast Service No appointment Needed Patrick's Pumping SepticPumpingServices Red Bluff, CA Garet Patrick Owner/Operator 530-366-6899 4patricks@att.net Av ailab le 24/7 RUNNINGS ROOFING and CONSTRUCTION SheetMetalRoofing ResidentialCommercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane ServingTehamaCounty 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 NoMoney Down! "NoJobTooSteep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA.Lic#829089B&C39 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B