Smithsonian Magazine on MSN

A Novel 'Kiss and Capture' Event Gave Pluto Its Largest Moon, Charon, New Study Suggests

The “demoted” dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon Charon make an unusual pair, and for decades, scientists have been ...
Yahoo

Astronomers have for decades tried to figure out how Pluto captured its largest moon. Now, there’s a new theory

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. For decades, astronomers have tried to determine how Pluto acquired its unusually large moon Charon, which is about half the size ...
AOL

Scientists make groundbreaking discovery about Pluto’s formation

Discover how a rare "kiss and capture" impact gave rise to the Pluto-Charon binary system, shedding new light on the evolution and motion of icy worlds in the outer solar system. (CREDIT: NASA) ...
The New York Times

Pluto May Have Captured Its Biggest Moon After an Ancient Dance and Kiss

Charon is large in size relative to Pluto, and is locked in a tight orbit with the dwarf planet. A new simulation suggests how it ended up there. By Jonathan O’Callaghan Some 4.5 billion years ago, ...
KRDO

How did Pluto’s large moon Charon form? With a ‘kiss,’ scientists say

(CNN) — For decades, astronomers have tried to determine how Pluto acquired its unusually large moon Charon, which is about half the size of the dwarf planet. Now, new research suggests that Pluto and ...
IFLScience

New "Kiss and Capture" Mechanism Might Explain The Formation Of Pluto And Charon

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London. Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and ...
AOL

Astronomers have for decades tried to figure out how Pluto captured its largest moon. Now, there’s a new theory

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. For decades ...
KTVZ

Astronomers have for decades tried to figure out how Pluto captured its largest moon. Now, there’s a new theory

(CNN) — For decades, astronomers have tried to determine how Pluto acquired its unusually large moon Charon, which is about half the size of the dwarf planet. Now, new research suggests that Pluto and ...