Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Apr 1979
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1979lastr..93..179b&link_type=abstract
L'Astronomie, vol. 93, Apr. 1979, p. 179-184. In French.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Astronomical Photography, Natural Satellites, Pluto (Planet), Brightness, Circular Orbits, Mass, Satellite Rotation
Scientific paper
A natural satellite of Pluto, tentatively designated Charon, was discovered in 1978 as a noticeable bulge on the photographic image of the planet Pluto. The orbit of the satellite is calculated to be circular, with a radius of about 20,000 km, inclination of 60 degrees and a period of 6.3867 days, equal to the period of rotation of Pluto around its axis. Using observations of the new satellite, the mass of Pluto has been determined to be 0.0024 times the mass of the earth, with a density between 0.8 and 1.2 g/cu cm, consistent with a composition of ice and solidified gases. It is possible that observed brightness changes, which lead to the determination of the rotation period of Pluto to be 6.39 days, may be due to brightness variations of the surface of the satellite, if its period of rotation is equal to its orbital period.
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