Mosaic of the best hi-resolution images of Pluto, captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015 (Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Public domain)

As if being downgraded to dwarf planet status was not enough, Pluto may now be in danger of losing its wispy atmosphere by 2030. The dire prediction comes from a 28-year study of the small celestial body, which lies at the edge of our solar system, by a team of international researchers led by University of Tasmania astronomer Andrew Cole.