Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Pluto and Charon formed from a “kiss and capture” collision, a new study from the University of Arizona reveals, rewriting theories of planetary formation.
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Unlike catastrophic impacts, this collision fused the icy bodies briefly, spinning together like a celestial snowman before separating into a binary orbit.
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By considering the strength of rock and ice, researchers found that smaller, colder bodies like Pluto and Charon behave differently than larger, fluid-like planetary systems.
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Pluto and Charon orbit a shared center of mass, much like figure skaters spinning together, a result of their unique collision process.
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The collision deposited internal heat into both bodies, possibly allowing Pluto to develop a subsurface ocean without requiring early solar system conditions.
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The collision’s tidal forces may explain Pluto’s current surface features, challenging prior models that suggested extensive deformation.
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This “kiss and capture” mechanism introduces a new category of planetary collisions beyond the classic “hit and run” or “graze and merge” scenarios.
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Pluto and Charon retained much of their original composition during the collision, unlike previous models suggesting extensive mixing.
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Researchers plan to study how tidal forces shaped Pluto and Charon’s evolution and explore whether this process explains other binary systems.
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