QUESTION: 
Can the Hubble see the surface of Pluto? If so, is it hot or cold?

ANSWER from Menakshi Sahu on May 1, 1996:
Yes, the Hubble Space Telescope has been able to take snapshots of Pluto's 
surface.  From earlier ground based observations, astronomers could infer 
that Pluto had several surface features including an icy polar cap.
The pictures taken by Hubble confirm these earlier observations.

The Hubble observations also show some bright patches which keep 
moving across Pluto's surface. Some astronomers think that these
white patches are frosts that move due to the orbital and seasonal changes
of Pluto. Pluto is cold because it is far away from the Sun. It is so 
cold that even gases like nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane partially 
freeze on its surface.