Moons · Moon of Pluto
Charon
5.9 billion km from the Sun · Light crosses it in 0.0040 seconds
- Across
- 1,212 km
- Vs Earth
- 9.51% of Earth
- Mass
- 0.03% of Earth
About
Charon is half the width of Pluto, so the two do not simply orbit one another: they both circle a point in empty space between them, always showing each other the same face. New Horizons revealed canyons far deeper than the Grand Canyon and a rust-coloured polar cap.
So big relative to Pluto that the two orbit a point in space between them.
At a glance
| Orbits | Pluto, every 6.4 days |
|---|---|
| Surface | About −220 °C |
| Mass | 12% of Pluto |
| Discovered | 1978 |
Did you know
- Its dark red north pole is nicknamed Mordor Macula; it is probably methane escaping from Pluto and freezing onto Charon.
- From Pluto's surface Charon would hang motionless in the sky, seven times wider than our full Moon.
- A canyon system runs 1,800 km along its equator, in places 9 km deep.
Real photo
- Charon in enhanced colour, with its red polar cap, New Horizons — NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI · source