Charon

Charon — moon orbiting Pluto, shown live in Cosmoscope, a real-time 3D map of the universe.

So large relative to Pluto that the pair waltz around a point between them — the solar system’s great double world.

Radius
606 km
Orbit
20k km from Pluto
Period
6.39 days
Scale
Half Pluto’s size — a true double world
Feature
Mordor Macula — a dark red polar cap

Seeing Charon in real time

Cosmoscope puts Charon at its true position in the solar system, computed from JPL-derived ephemeris and updated continuously. Open the live 3D view to see, in real time, how far Charon is from the Sun and from Earth right now, how many minutes or hours light takes to cross that gap, and how fast it is moving along its orbit. Scrub the timeline to place Charon where it was on any past date, or where it will be years from now.

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