Charon
| Charon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Charon from pluto_pack.zip in Orbiter 2003P2 | |
| Designation | |
| Name | Charon |
| Reference body | 134340 Pluto |
| Number of satellites | |
| Planetary mean orbits | |
| Epoch | J2000 (1 January 2000) |
| Semimajor axis (a) | 19 600 000 m |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.0 |
| Inclination (i) | 99° (1.72787596 radian) |
| Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊) | 0° (0 radian) |
| Longitude of periapsis (ϖ) | 114.591559° (2 radian) |
| Mean longitude (L) | 0° (0 radian) |
| Selected physical parameters | |
| Mean radius | 593000 m |
| Mass | 3.3×1021 kg |
| Sidereal rotation period | -551858 sec (153.294 hours) |
| SidRotOffset | 0 |
| Obliquity | 0° (0 radian) |
| Note | *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 double dwarf planet.
Charon was discovered in 1978 by 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.
Charon in Orbiter
Charon was introduced to Orbiter with the release of pluto_pack.zip in July 2004.
| Add-on | Source | Version | Author | Type | Release Date | Compatibility | Wiki article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pluto Pack | AVSIM | CharlotMan | Scenery | 17 July 2004 | |||
Gallery
Charon from pluto_pack.zip in Orbiter 2003P2 
Charon imaged by New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015
from Wikimedia Commons
first color animation of the orbits of Pluto and Charon
from Wikimedia Commons
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