How Pluto and Charon Were Born From a Giant Collision

Recent simulations link the creation of Pluto and its moon Charon to a colossal impact, akin to the Earth-Moon origin, highlighting potential geologic activity and an ocean beneath Pluto’s icy façade. A NASA postdoctoral researcher at Southwest Research Institute has developed advanced models suggesting that Pluto and its moon Charon may have formed in a [...]