Space
Pluto's Tiniest Moon, Kerberos, Finally Revealed by New Horizons
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Oct 23, 2015 10:12 AM EDT
The last of Pluto's moons, the mysterious Kerberos, has finally been revealed by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. The new data and images complete the family portrait of Pluto's moons.
New Horizons is continuing its journey toward the Kuiper Belt. In the meantime, though, it's continuously sending information to Earth about its Pluto flyby. The data and images are giving scientists a closer look at the Pluto system as never before.
Kerberos actually appears to be smaller than expected in the new images. It also has a highly-reflective surface, which is counter to predictions prior to the Pluto flyby in July. The moon also appears to have a double-lobed shape, with the larger lobe about 5 miles across and the smaller lobe about 3 miles across. Because of this unusual shape, it's possible that Kerberos was formed by the merger of two smaller objects.
Because the surface of Kerberos is so reflective, researchers believe that it could be coated with relatively clean water ice. This is similar to Pluto's other moons, which also have high reflectivity.
"Our predictions were nearly spot-on for the other small moons, but not for Kerberos," said Mark Showalter, New Horizons co-investigator, in a news release.
The new results should lead to a better understanding of the Pluto system. In addition, it shows that this system still has surprises in store for scientists back on Earth.
For more information about the New Horizons mission, visit NASA's website.
Related Stories
Strange, Woodworm-like Holes Pit the Surface of Pluto in New Images
Pluto Stuns Scientists with Startling Complexity with New Horizons Data
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
More on SCIENCEwr
First Posted: Oct 23, 2015 10:12 AM EDT
The last of Pluto's moons, the mysterious Kerberos, has finally been revealed by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft. The new data and images complete the family portrait of Pluto's moons.
New Horizons is continuing its journey toward the Kuiper Belt. In the meantime, though, it's continuously sending information to Earth about its Pluto flyby. The data and images are giving scientists a closer look at the Pluto system as never before.
Kerberos actually appears to be smaller than expected in the new images. It also has a highly-reflective surface, which is counter to predictions prior to the Pluto flyby in July. The moon also appears to have a double-lobed shape, with the larger lobe about 5 miles across and the smaller lobe about 3 miles across. Because of this unusual shape, it's possible that Kerberos was formed by the merger of two smaller objects.
Because the surface of Kerberos is so reflective, researchers believe that it could be coated with relatively clean water ice. This is similar to Pluto's other moons, which also have high reflectivity.
"Our predictions were nearly spot-on for the other small moons, but not for Kerberos," said Mark Showalter, New Horizons co-investigator, in a news release.
The new results should lead to a better understanding of the Pluto system. In addition, it shows that this system still has surprises in store for scientists back on Earth.
For more information about the New Horizons mission, visit NASA's website.
Related Stories
Strange, Woodworm-like Holes Pit the Surface of Pluto in New Images
Pluto Stuns Scientists with Startling Complexity with New Horizons Data
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone