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{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin:25px 0 0 10px; border:3px solid lightsteelblue;width:250px; font-size:90%; font-family:'Arial','Helvetica'; float: right; clear: right;"Pluto in Orbiter"
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Charon is the largest natural satellite of [[Pluto]]. It is so large compared to Pluto, that its barycentre lies outside both objects. This is a common definition of a binary object, leading some astronomers to consider them a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_planet double dwarf planet].
!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2" align="center" |Charon
 
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|colspan="2" align="center"|[[Image:Charon-plutopackzip-Orbiter2003P2.jpg|Charon|240px]]
 
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|colspan="2" align="center"|'''Charon from ''pluto_pack.zip'' in Orbiter 2003P2'''
 
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!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Designation
 
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|Name||align="right"|Charon
 
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|width="30%"|Reference body||align="right" width="30%"|134340 Pluto
 
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|width="30%"|Number of satellites||align="right" width="30%"|
 
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!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Planetary mean orbits
 
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|width="30%"|Epoch||align="right" width="50%"|J2000 (1 January 2000)
 
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|width="30%"|Semimajor axis (a)||align="right" width="50%"|19 600 000 m
 
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|width="30%"|Eccentricity (e)||align="right" width="30%"|0.0
 
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|width="30%"|Inclination (i)||align="right" width="30%"|99° <br> (1.72787596 radian)
 
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|width="30%"|Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊)||align="right" width="30%"|0° <br> (0 radian)
 
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|width="30%"|Longitude of periapsis (ϖ)||align="right" width="30%"|114.591559° <br> (2 radian)
 
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|width="30%"|Mean longitude (L)||align="right" width="30%"|0° <br> (0 radian)
 
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!bgcolor="lightsteelblue" colspan="2"|Selected physical parameters
 
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|width="30%"|Mean radius||align="right" width="30%"|593000 m
 
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|width="30%"|Mass||align="right" width="30%"|3.3×10<sup>21</sup> kg
 
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|width="30%"|Sidereal rotation period||align="right" width="30%"|-551858 sec (153.294 hours)
 
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|width="30%"|SidRotOffset||align="right" width="30%"|0
 
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|width="30%"|Obliquity||align="right" width="30%"|0° (0 radian)
 
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|width="30%"|Note||align="right" width="30%"|*Elements given are from Charon.cfg (pluto_pack.zip)
 
|}
 
 
 
Charon is the largest natural satellite of [[Pluto]]. Its radius is about half that of Pluto, and their barycentre lies outside both objects. This is a common definition of a binary object, leading some astronomers to consider them a [[w:Double planet|double dwarf planet]].
 
 
 
Charon was discovered in 1978 by [[w:James W. Christy|James W Christy]].
 
  
 
From the discovery of [[Nix]] and [[Hydra]], it was possible to estimate Charon's mass as roughly 10% that of Pluto. This implies it's approximately 45% ice, thought mostly to be water ice.
 
From the discovery of [[Nix]] and [[Hydra]], it was possible to estimate Charon's mass as roughly 10% that of Pluto. This implies it's approximately 45% ice, thought mostly to be water ice.
 
== Charon in Orbiter ==
 
Charon was introduced to Orbiter with the release of ''pluto_pack.zip'' in July 2004.
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
 
|colspan="8"|<center>'''Orbiter versions and add-ons which include Charon'''</center>
 
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!Add-on!!Source!!Version!!Author!!Type!!Release Date!!Compatibility!!Wiki article
 
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|[https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=&Name=&FileName=pluto_pack.zip&Author=&CatID=root Pluto Pack]||AVSIM||||CharlotMan||Scenery||17 July 2004||||
 
|}
 
 
== Gallery ==
 
<gallery>
 
Charon-plutopackzip-Orbiter2003P2.jpg|<center>Charon from ''pluto_pack.zip'' in Orbiter 2003P2</center>
 
Charon in True Color - High-Res.jpg|<center>Charon imaged by [[w:New Horizons|New Horizons spacecraft]] in July 2015<br>from Wikimedia Commons</center>
 
First Color Animated Images show Pluto and its Moon Charon.gif|<center>first color animation of the orbits of Pluto and Charon<br>from Wikimedia Commons</center>
 
</gallery>
 
 
 
{{Nsat-Stub}}
 
{{Nsat-Stub}}
 
{{PlutoMoons}}
 
{{PlutoMoons}}
{{SolarSystem}}
 
 
[[Category: Articles]]
 
[[Category:Celestial bodies]]
 
[[Category:Solar System]]
 
[[Category:Natural satellites]]
 

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