After a remarkable nine-year journey spanning billions of kilometers through space, "New Horizons" is poised to etch its name in history as it embarks on a close flyby of Pluto on July 14.

Situated at a staggering 5 billion kilometers from Earth, Pluto has long been an enigmatic dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system.

The much-anticipated rendezvous with "New Horizons" promises to provide humanity with unprecedented clarity through vivid images and valuable data, unraveling the mysteries that have shrouded Pluto for centuries.

Pluto, the first celestial body discovered in the Kuiper Belt, has earned the moniker of a "Type III planet" due to its peculiar behaviors, setting it apart from its celestial counterparts. Despite being an integral part of the "classical solar system," Pluto has remained an uncharted realm for human exploration, intensifying the intrigue surrounding this distant celestial entity.

One of the primary mysteries surrounding Pluto is the nature of this small planet nestled at the fringes of the solar system. Owing to its modest size and considerable distance, even the mighty Hubble Space Telescope struggled to provide clear images.

Compounded by the constant presence of Pluto's moon, Charon, distinguishing between the two entities has proven challenging. It wasn't until 1988, during Charon's eclipse of Pluto, that scientists had a breakthrough, allowing them to measure the brightness and spectra of each object individually.

Spectroscopic measurements revealed that Pluto's surface predominantly comprises water, nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. Subsequent observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope pinpointed a specific organic compound responsible for the slightly reddish hue of Pluto's surface.

Pluto, on average, orbits the Sun 40 times farther away than Earth, receiving minimal solar radiation, resulting in bone-chilling temperatures that plummet to -233 degrees Celsius. Exploring the possibility of oceans on such a frigid planet might seem implausible, given that almost all gaseous and liquid substances freeze into hard ice.

However, some scientists propose that Pluto's internal heat might sustain a liquid ocean beneath its icy exterior.

This innovative concept is the brainchild of planetary scientists Gullem Robuchon and Francis Nimmo from the University of California, Santa Cruz. They suggest potassium-40, found deep within Pluto, generates internal heat through radioactive decay, preventing the groundwater from freezing solid and creating a subsurface ocean.

Calculations indicate that the required amount of radioactive potassium to sustain this ocean is approximately one-tenth of that found in meteorites formed during the early solar system—a feasible ratio.

Gullem-Robchyn posits that Pluto likely harbors sufficient quantities of radioactive potassium in its interior, speculating that this hidden ocean could be over 100 kilometers thick and extend as deep as 200 kilometers underground.

Confirmation of Pluto's subsurface ocean would undoubtedly expand the scope of the "habitable zone." A precise survey of Pluto's topography is crucial to validate this hypothesis, examining any surface shape changes indicative of the subsurface ocean.

Additionally, the mission aims to detect Pluto's temperature and chemical composition, providing vital insights into the composition of its subsurface materials.

As the world awaits the outcomes of the groundbreaking "New Horizons" encounter with Pluto, the spacecraft's mission promises to unlock the secrets concealed beneath the icy veneer of this distant celestial body. The scientific community eagerly anticipates a wealth of information that could reshape our understanding of the outer reaches of our solar system.