Solar System Exploration: Planets: Pluto: Moons: Charon: Facts & Figures

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Facts & Figures

Charon: Facts & Figures

Facts & Figures

Discovered By

James Christie

Date of Discovery

June 22, 1978

Orbit Size Around Pluto (semi-major axis)

Metric: 17,536 km

English: 10,896 miles

Scientific Notation: 1.754E+04 km (1.172E-04 A.U.)

Periapsis (closest)

Metric: 17,497 km

Apoapsis (farthest)

Metric: 17,575 km

English: 10,920 miles

Scientific Notation: 1.757E+04 km

Sidereal Orbit Period (Length of Year)

6.387 Earth years

Orbit Circumference

Metric: 110,181.80 km

English: 68,463.80 miles

Scientific Notation: 1.102E+05 km

Average Orbit Velocity

Metric: 718.8 km/h

English: 446.6 mph

Scientific Notation: 200 m/s

Orbit Eccentricity

0.0022

Orbit Inclination

0.001

Mean Radius

Metric: 603.6 km

English: 375.1 miles

Scientific Notation: 6.036E+02 km

Equatorial Circumference

Metric: 3,792.5 km

English: 2,356.6 miles

Scientific Notation: 3.7925E+03 km

Volume

Metric: 921,162,612 km³

Scientific Notation: 9.212E+08 km³

Mass

Metric: 1,546,625,822,956,300,000,000 kg

English: 1.5466E+21 lbs

Scientific Notation: 0.0003 kg

Density

Metric: 1.678 g/cm³

Surface Area

Metric: 4,578,343.00 km²

English: 1,767,708.12 square miles

Scientific Notation: 4.578343E+06 km²

Surface Gravity

Metric: 0.283 m/s²

English: 0.929 ft/s²

Scientific Notation: 2.833E-01 m/s²

Escape Velocity

Metric: 2,105 km/h

English: 1,308 mph

Scientific Notation: 585 m/s

Sidereal Rotation Period (Length of Day)

6.387 hours

NASA Official: Kristen Erickson

Advisory: Dr. James Green, Director of Planetary Science

Outreach Manager: Alice Wessen

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