Fifth Moon Discovered Orbiting Pluto
Explanation:
A fifth moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto.
The moon was
discovered earlier this month in images taken by the
Hubble Space Telescope in preparation
for the
New Horizons mission's
scheduled
flyby of Pluto in 2015.
Pictured above, the moon is currently seen as only a
small blip that moves around the dwarf planet as the
entire system slowly orbits the Sun.
The moon, given a temporary designation of
S/2012 (134340) 1 or
just P5 (as labeled), is estimated to span about 15 kilometers and is likely composed
mostly of
water-ice.
Pluto remains the only famous Solar
System body
never visited by a human-built probe and so its origins
and detailed appearance remain
mostly unknown.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
