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Pluto may have captured its moon Charon

techexplorist · 7h

Pluto ‘kissed’ its moon and captured it in orbit

Billions of years ago, two icy worlds—Pluto and Chron—collided in the farthest reaches of our solar system. But rather than smashing into pieces, Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, briefly spun together like a celestial snowman before separating, forever linked in orbit.

The New York Times · 15h

Pluto May Have Captured Its Biggest Moon After an Ancient Dance and Kiss

Charon is large in size relative to Pluto, and is locked in a tight orbit with the dwarf planet. A new simulation suggests how it ended up there.

Pluto’s Weirdly Big Moon May Have Come From A ‘Kiss And Capture’

Pluto's big moon Charon may have a different origin story than scientists suspected. New research suggests the two bodies engaged in a celestial kiss and tango.

Here’s how Pluto and Charon became a bizarre double planet

For decades, astronomers suspected that Pluto and Charon formed through a process similar to Earth and the Moon. This theory, ...

2d

Image of the week: Pluto and Charon's fascinating embrace

New simulations propose a 'Kiss and Capture' scenario to explain the evolution of the dwarf planet and its main moon.

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