An icy supervolcano eruption on Pluto may have left a massive crater on the frozen world

This high-resolution image captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft combines blue, red and infrared images to show a bright expanse on Pluto known as Sputnik Planum, which has been found to be rich in nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane ices.

A landmark on Pluto that was previously designated as an impact crater may actually be the caldera of a supervolcano that has exploded in the past few million years, new research suggests.

When NASA's New Horizons mission flew by Pluto in 2015, it revealed a geologically rich world, rather than the cold, dark landscape many had anticipated. Almost immediately, researchers identified two features, called Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, that were strongly suspected to be icy volcanoes, and further study confirmed their identity.