Pluto’s satellite system

E481636

Pluto’s satellite system is the collection of natural moons orbiting the dwarf planet Pluto, dominated by the large moon Charon and accompanied by the smaller satellites Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra.

All labels observed (12)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf natural satellite system
centralBody Pluto
contains Charon
Hydra
Kerberos
Nix
Styx
discoveredBy multiple discovery teams
dominantSatellite Charon
forms Pluto–Charon binary system
hasApproximateCharonOrbitalPeriod 6.4 Earth days
hasApproximateCharonToPlutoMassRatio 0.12
hasApproximateCharonToPlutoSizeRatio 0.5
hasApproximateHydraOrbitalPeriod 38.2 Earth days
hasApproximateKerberosOrbitalPeriod 32.2 Earth days
hasApproximateNixOrbitalPeriod 24.9 Earth days
hasApproximateStyxOrbitalPeriod 20.2 Earth days
hasBarycenterLocation outside Pluto’s physical radius
hasDiscoveryInstrument Hubble Space Telescope
hasDiscoveryYearOfCharon 1978
hasDiscoveryYearOfKerberos 2011
hasDiscoveryYearOfNixAndHydra 2005
hasDiscoveryYearOfStyx 2012
hasDynamicalStability long-term stable orbits for known moons
hasExplorationMission New Horizons
hasInclinationRelativeToEcliptic about 119 degrees (Pluto’s equator)
hasLargestMoon Charon
hasLikelyOrigin giant impact between proto-Pluto and another Kuiper belt object
hasOrbitalConfiguration near-resonant chain of small moons
hasOrbitalPlane approximately aligned with Pluto’s equator
hasOrbitalResonancePattern near 1:3:4:5:6 period ratios among moons
hasPrimaryTidalLocking Pluto–Charon mutually tidally locked
hasSmallMoonsRotationState small moons exhibit chaotic rotation
small moons not tidally locked
hasSmallSatellite Hydra
Kerberos
Nix
Styx
locatedIn Kuiper belt
linked to: Kuiper Belt

outer Solar System
NewHorizonsFlybyDate 2015-07-14
numberOfKnownMoons 5
orbits Pluto
wasImagedCloselyBy New Horizons spacecraft
linked to: New Horizons

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (23)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Nix memberOf Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Nix system Pluto-Charon small moons system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Kerberos memberOf Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Kerberos partOf Pluto’s satellite system
Kerberos orbitsBarycenterOf Pluto–Charon system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Kerberos gravitationallyBoundTo Pluto–Charon system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Styx memberOf Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Styx gravitationallyBoundTo Pluto–Charon system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Styx belongsTo Pluto’s small moons
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Ralph targetBody Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
SDC hostSpacecraftDestination Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Hydra (moon) memberOf Pluto system
subject linked to: Hydra
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Hydra (moon) partOf Pluto–Charon system
subject linked to: Hydra
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Alice missionTarget Pluto system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
S/2005 P 2 partOf Pluto-Charon satellite system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Pluto’s satellite system forms Pluto–Charon binary system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Pluto IV memberOf Plutonian satellite system
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Long Range Reconnaissance Imager notableTarget Pluto's small moons
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
New Horizons Ralph instrument targetBody Pluto’s small moons
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Nix belongsTo Kuiper belt system of Pluto
subject linked to: Nix (moon)
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Nix isPartOf Pluto-Charon multiple moon system
subject linked to: Nix (moon)
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
Kerberos belongsToCategory Moons of Pluto
subject linked to: Kerberos (moon)
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system
New Horizons science team studies Pluto’s small moons
linked to: Pluto’s satellite system