Sputnik Planitia as an impactor remnant indicative of an ancient rocky mascon in an oceanless Pluto
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 15 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02248-1 Foreign material delivered as a giant impact can dominate large portions of icy dwarf planets, according to impact simulations. This scenario may explain the peculiar shape and location of the Sputnik Planitia