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2 clusters · 4 sources · 13 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: INTERNATIONAL · TECHNOLOGY

Charon rotation slowdown research

Entities: Pluto · Charon · Switzerland · United States · Oz Terra

Overview

Scientists from ETH Zurich, UCLA and Swiss institutions published a study in *Nature Communications* showing that Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, has progressively slowed its spin over billions of years. Geological analysis of the Oz Terra region revealed compressional ridges that record a transition from an early rotation period of roughly 14.3 hours to the present tidally‑locked period of about 153.3 hours. The slowdown is attributed to tidal forces between Charon and Pluto, which also caused an approximate 1 % equatorial contraction. Modeling suggests Charon began with a cold start and a thick icy shell (30‑36 km), forming a rigid crust early in its history. The findings, supported by data from the New Horizons flyby, provide a rare physical trace of despinning and offer insights into the thermal and tidal evolution of icy satellites in the outer Solar System.

Timeline

  1. about 7 hours ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Charon’s Rotation Slows Over Billions of Years, Study Finds

    US‑Swiss researchers report that Charon’s spin slowed from ~14 h to 153 h over billions of years due to tidal forces with Pluto, based on mountain‑ridge evidence in Oz Terra.

  2. 13 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Charon's Rotation Slowed Over Time, New Study Shows

    Study in Nature Communications shows Charon's spin slowed from ~14.3 h to ~153.3 h; Oz Terra tectonics indicate despinning and a 30‑36 km ice shell, implying a cold‑start evolution.

Sources

gizmodo.co.uk · greensavers.pt · sapo.pt · sci.news