Is Nix or Hydra bigger?
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Is Nix or Hydra bigger?
Nix is estimated to be 26 miles (42 km) long and 22 miles (36 km) wide, while Hydra is 34 miles (55 km) in length. Hydra has a shape resembling a mitten or a rubber duck with at least two large craters.
Why do the outer moons of Pluto rotate chaotically?
Why the chaos? Because the moons are embedded inside a dynamically shifting gravitational field caused by the system’s two central bodies, Pluto and Charon, whirling about each other. The variable gravitational field induces torques that send the smaller moons tumbling in unpredictable ways.
What is the radius of Hydra?
about 64,721 km
The orbital radius of Hydra is about 64,721 km (40,216 miles);…
What is Nix Hydra?
Nix is the inner of the two moons discovered orbiting Pluto in 2005. Nix and Hydra are roughly 5,000 times fainter than Pluto and are about two to three times farther from Pluto than its large moon, Charon, which was discovered in 1978. Nix and Hydra are roughly 20 to 70 miles (32 to 113 km) wide.
What does Nix orbit around?
25 daysNix / Orbital period
What is the only known moon of Pluto?
Charon
The known moons of Pluto are: Charon: Discovered in 1978, this small moon is almost half the size of Pluto. It is so big Pluto and Charon are sometimes referred to as a double planet system. Nix and Hydra: These small moons were found in 2005 by a Hubble Space Telescope team studying the Pluto system.
What is the mass of Nix?
Nix is a natural satellite of Pluto, with a diameter of 49.8 km (30.9 mi) across its longest dimension….Nix (moon)
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Satellite of | Pluto |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 49.8 x 33.2 x 31.1 km |
| Mass | (4.5±4.0)×1016 kg |
How cold is Hydra?
Hydra (moon)
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Axial tilt | 110° |
| Albedo | 0.83 ± 0.08 (geometric) |
| Temperature | 23 K |
| Apparent magnitude | 22.9–23.3 (measured) |
How big is Pluto’s moon Hydra?
approximately 51 km
Hydra is a natural satellite of Pluto, with a diameter of approximately 51 km (32 mi) across its longest dimension. It is the second-largest moon of Pluto, being slightly larger than Nix….Hydra (moon)
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Inclination | 0.242°±0.005° |
| Satellite of | Pluto |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 50.9 km × 36.1 km × 30.9 km |
What method was first used to determine the relative sizes and masses of Pluto and Charon?
Plugging in the orbital information for Pluto and its moon Charon, astronomers calculated its mass to be 1.31 x 1022 kg – less than 0.24\% the mass of Earth. Followup observations were able to determine its size very accurately as 2,390 km across.