NASA hasrevealedstunning new images of Pluto ’s moon Charon , hold by New Horizons , showing vast and varied airfoil features that suggestion at a violent chronicle . Originally expected to be a grey , monotonous earthly concern , Charon has been shown to be covered in mount , canyons , craters , and more .
Charon measures 1,214 kilometers ( 754 miles ) in diameter , making it half the size of Pluto . The images , taken during the flyby on 14 July , show a huge canyon system that stretches more than 1,600 kilometers ( 1,000 miles ) across its control surface , and possibly onto the far side – which New Horizons was n’t able to observe , owe to its relatively briefflyby . The striking blood-red north area , conversationally named Mordor Macula , is also seen , which may be remnant of Pluto’satmosphere .
These enhanced color images show how Charon differs from Pluto in its appearance . NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI .
The canyon is four clock time as long as the Grand Canyon and in some part doubly as deep . Interestingly , in tandem with other fault on the surface it intimate Charon perish through some major geological changes in its past . " It looks like the total gall of Charon has been split open , " say John Spencer , surrogate lead story for the New Horizons Geology , Geophysics and Imaging ( GGI ) team in astatement . " With respect to its sizing relative to Charon , this feature is much like the vast Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars . "
The craters in the southern region , meanwhile , appear to be smaller than their northerly counterparts – intimate the surface of Charon ’s southern hemisphere is " younger , " mean the surface has been the subject of more recent geologic change , possibly cryovolcanism . " The squad is discuss the opening that an internal water ocean could have frozen long ago , and the resulting volume change could have direct to Charon cracking open , allowing water - establish lavas to reach the Earth’s surface at that time , " said Paul Schenk , a New Horizons squad fellow member from the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston .
The moon as a whole , though , is prove to be vastly more impressive than anyone had envisage . " We thought the chance of seeing such interesting features on this artificial satellite of a cosmos at the far edge of our Solar System was small , " said GGI affiliate Ross Beyer in the financial statement , " but I could n’t be more beguiled with what we see . "
NASA is continuing to release raw images from New Horizons every week , with even better images of Charon and of course Pluto still to do .
Image in textbook : The Long Range Reconnaissance Imager resolved item as small as 0.8 kilometers ( 0.5 miles ) in this composite image . NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI .
Below : An animated flyby over Charon .
