Carbon Dioxide on Pluto’s Moon
What It Means for Science
Scientists have recently made an exciting discovery on Charon, Pluto's largest moon. They found carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on its icy surface.
This discovery could help us better understand how icy bodies in the outer Solar System came to be and how they have changed over time.
Pluto and Its Moon Charon
For many years, Pluto was considered the ninth planet in our Solar System. However, in 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union. This change happened because Pluto doesn't have a clear, debris-free orbit like other planets.
Pluto orbits in the Kuiper Belt, a region filled with icy objects beyond Neptune.
Charon is Pluto’s biggest moon, discovered in 1978. It’s one of five known moons around Pluto.
Because it’s incredibly cold, there's no chance for life to exist there, and water only exists as ice.
What Scientists Found on Charon
A research team from the Southwest Research Institute in the U.S. recently detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon’s surface.
While ice, ammonia, and organic…
