Because neither object truly orbits the other, and Charon has 12.2% of the mass of Pluto, it has been argued that Charon should be considered to be part of a binary planet with Pluto.

Jan 20, 2025 · Charon is the largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto, but calling it a moon is really a misnomer; Pluto and Charon actually form a binary system. Whereas a moon usually orbits …

Nov 3, 2024 · Charon is the largest of Pluto's five moons. At half the size of Pluto, Charon is the largest known satellite relative to its parent body. The same surfaces of Charon and Pluto …

Charon was the only known moon of Pluto until 2005, when astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered two comparatively tiny objects revolving around Pluto outside Charon’s …

Jan 10, 2025 · For decades, astronomers have tried to determine how Pluto acquired its unusually large moon Charon, which is about half the size of the dwarf planet. Now, new research …

Jan 24, 2025 · Scientists have discovered a new type of planetary collision called “kiss-and-capture,” where Pluto and proto-Charon briefly connected and spun together before separating …

Jan 6, 2025 · Pluto and its moon Charon may have been briefly locked together in a cosmic “kiss”, before the dwarf planet released the smaller body and recaptured it in its orbit.

Oct 6, 2025 · Far from being a mere desolate ice ball, the Pluto-Charon system, anchored in the frigid depths of the Kuiper Belt, represents a vibrant, geologically active pair that continues to …

There are five known moons of the dwarf planet Pluto. [1] In order of distance from Pluto, they are Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. [2] Charon, the largest, is mutually tidally locked with …

Jan 13, 2025 · New research sheds light on a cosmic event billions of years ago when Pluto captured its largest moon, Charon, in a brief and unique “kiss-and-capture” collision.