Carbon di Oxide detected on Charon, the Moon of Pluto

Scientists have detected carbon dioxide on Charon using the James Webb Space Telescope This will help in understanding the formation and evolution of icy celestial bodies.

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About Pluto

Pluto is a dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt. It is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune populated with many small icy bodies, including dwarf planets like Eris and Haumea.
NASA’s New Horizons is the only mission to have explored Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, It was launched in 2006.

Important facts about Pluto

It was discovered in 1930 and was initially classified as the 9th planet in our solar system.
However, it was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 due to its inability to clear its orbit of other debris.
A day on Pluto is 6.4 Earth days or 153.3 hours long. A year on Pluto is 248 Earth years. This is because it rotates much more slowly than Earth.
Pluto’s atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. There are also haze particles in Pluto’s atmosphere, which scatter blue light.
Pluto has an unusual orbit that is both elliptical and tilted. It takes about 248 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.
The surface of Pluto includes mountains, valleys, plains, and craters, with temperatures averaging around -375 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit (-226 to -240 degrees Celsius.

Moons of Pluto

Pluto has 5 known moons:

Charon:
- Discovered in 1978.
- The largest moon, about half the size of Pluto.
- It is unique because its size relative to Pluto makes it the largest moon in relation to its parent planet in the solar system.
- Charon is tidally locked to Pluto, meaning the same side always faces Pluto.
Nix: It was discovered in 2005. It is smaller than Charon and has a highly reflective surface.
Hydra: Also discovered in 2005. It is slightly larger than Nix and shares similar characteristics.
Kerberos: It was discovered in 2011. Smaller than Nix and Hydra, Kerberos has a complex surface that may include water ice.
Styx: The smallest moon, discovered in 2012. Styx also has a reflective surface similar to its larger siblings.

International Astronomical Union (IAU)

It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that promotes and protects astronomy through international cooperation. (HQ – Paris)
It was founded in 1919.
Members: IAU’s members are professional astronomers from around the world who are at the Ph.D. level and beyond.
Activities
- Organising scientific meetings.
- Defining fundamental astronomical and physical constants
- Assigning naming designations to celestial bodies and their surface features
- Promoting astronomical research, education, and outreach within the public sphere
General Assembly: Held every three years.
Dwarf Planet Definition: According to the IAU, a dwarf planet must meet 3 criteria:
- It must orbit the Sun.
- It must be large enough for its gravity to shape it into a nearly round form.
- It must not have cleared its orbital neighbourhood of other objects.
Pluto meets only the first two criteria, which is why it is classified as a dwarf planet rather than a full-fledged planet.
The IAU recognizes 5 dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.
India has been a member of IAU since 1948. The Astronomical Society of India (ASI) represents India in the IAU.