Hubble colour images of Pluto's moons support a common birth

These NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images of Pluto were taken on March 2, 2006, using the High Resolution Channel (HRC) of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The image on the left was taken through a blue filter (F435W), and the one on the right was taken through a red filter (F606W). By comparing these two images in detail, astronomers discovered that the surfaces of Pluto's two newly-discovered satellites (S/2005 P 1 and S/2005 P 2, or P1 and P2 for short) have essentially the same colour as Charon's surface.

Credit:

NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab), A. Stern (Southwest Research Institute), and the HST Pluto Companion Search Team

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo0615d
Type:Collage
Release date:10 March 2006, 15:00
Size:3000 x 2400 px

About the Object

Name:Charon, Hydra, Nix, Pluto
Type:Solar System : Planet : Satellite
Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Dwarf planet
Category:Solar System

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
1.2 MB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
238.3 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
B
435 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS
Optical
V
606 nm Hubble Space Telescope
ACS

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