Aster › Space program › Charon
Charon
Position on the route: 29/45 · level needed 305 · journey (Mk0 engine) 59.1 h
By the numbers
| Diameter | 1,212 km |
|---|---|
| Gravity | 0.288 m/s² |
| Distance from Pluto | 19,600 km |
| Feature | mutually tide-locked with Pluto |
The story
Pluto’s largest moon, half its size. Because their centre of mass lies outside Pluto, the two circle each other like a double dwarf planet and always show each other the same face.
New Horizons (2015) saw a red patch at the north pole (‘Mordor Macula’) and a great canyon system. The red colour comes from methane escaping Pluto, freezing onto Charon’s ice and being changed by light (tholins).
Missions
- New Horizons (2015): detailed mapping
Colony note
A base that always sees Pluto hanging in the same place in its sky; ice aplenty.
What probes bring back
- It and Pluto circle each other: a double dwarf-planet system (the barycentre lies outside).
- The red ‘Mordor Macula’ at the north pole is stained by tholins escaped from Pluto.