Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
Science Signaling - Call for Papers

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 31 July 1987:
Vol. 237. no. 4814, pp. 512 - 514
DOI: 10.1126/science.237.4814.512
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Improved Orbital and Physical Parameters for the Pluto-Charon System

DAVID J. THOLEN 1, MARC W. BUIE 1, RICHARD P. BINZEL 2, and MARIAN L. FRUEH 2

1 Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822.
2 Astronomy Department and McDonald Observatory, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712.

Analysis of the observations of several Pluto-Charon occultation and transit events in 1985 and 1986 has provided a more detailed knowledge of the system. The sum of the radii of Pluto and Charon is 1786 ± 19 kilometers, but the individual radii are somewhat more poorly determined; Pluto is 1145 ± 46 kilometers in radius and Charon is 642 ± 34 kilometers in radius. The mean density of the system is 1.84 ± 0.19 grams per cubic centimeter, implying that more than half of the mass is due to rock. Charon appears to have hemispheres of two different colors, the Plutofacing side being neutral in color and the opposite hemisphere being a reddish color similar to Pluto.

Submitted on February 19, 1987
Accepted on May 15, 1987


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Hemispherical Color Differences on Pluto and Charon.
R. P. Binzel and R. P. BINZEL (1988)
Science 241, 1070-1072
   Abstract »    PDF »
IRAS Serendipitous Survey Observations of Pluto and Charon.
M. V. Sykes, M. V. SYKES, R. M. CUTRI, L. A. LEBOFSKY, and R. P. BINZEL (1987)
Science 237, 1336-1340
   Abstract »    PDF »
The Surface Composition of Charon: Tentative Identification of Water Ice.
R. L. Marcialis, R. L. MARCIALIS, G. H. RIEKE, and L. A. LEBOFSKY (1987)
Science 237, 1349-1351
   Abstract »    PDF »


ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)