Pluto’s moon Charon (IMAGE)
Caption
Southwest Research Institute scientists combined data from NASA’s New Horizons mission with novel laboratory experiments and exospheric modeling to reveal the likely composition of the red cap on Pluto’s moon Charon and how it may have formed. New findings suggest drastic seasonal surges in Charon’s thin atmosphere combined with light breaking down the condensing methane frost may be key to understanding the origins of Charon’s red polar zones.
Credit
Courtesy NASA / Johns Hopkins APL / SwRI
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License
Public Domain