Nix (moon)

Nix
Enhanced color image of Nix, taken by New Horizons
Discovery[1]
Discovered byHal A. Weaver et al.[a]
Discovery date15 May 2005
Designations
Designation
Pluto II[1]
Pronunciation/ˈnɪks/
Named after
Nyx
Alternative names
S/2005 P 2
AdjectivesNictian (/ˈnɪktiən/)
Orbital characteristics[2]
48694±3 km
Eccentricity0.002036±0.000050
24.85463±0.00003 d
Inclination0.133°±0.008° (122.53°±0.008° to Pluto's orbit)
Satellite ofPluto
Physical characteristics
Dimensions49.8 × 33.2 × 31.1 km[3]
(Geometric mean of 37 km)
Mass(2.60±0.52)×1016 kg[4]: 10 
Mean density
1.031±0.204 g/cm3[4]: 10 
Surface gravity
≈ 0.0028 m/s2 at longest axis
to ≈ 0.0072 m/s2 at poles
≈ 0.0118 km/s at longest axis
to ≈ 0.0149 km/s at poles
Synodic rotation period
1.829±0.009 d[5]: 3  chaotic[6] (decreased by 10% between discovery and flyby)[7]
123°±10° (to Pluto–Charon orbit)[8]: 11 
48°±10° (to celestial equator)[b]
North pole right ascension
350°±10°[5]: 3 
North pole declination
42°±10°[5]: 3 
Albedo0.56±0.05[5]: 3 
23.38–23.7 (measured)[9]
8.28[5]: 2 

Nix, formal designation (134340) Pluto II, is a natural satellite of Pluto, with a diameter of 49.8 km (30.9 mi) across its longest dimension.[3] It was discovered along with Pluto's outermost moon Hydra on 15 May 2005 by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope,[1] and was named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.[10] Nix is the third moon of Pluto by distance, orbiting between the moons Styx and Kerberos.[11]

Nix was imaged along with Pluto and its other moons by the New Horizons spacecraft as it flew by the Pluto system in July 2015.[12] These images reveal a large reddish area on Nix that is likely an impact crater.[13]

  1. ^ a b c d "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  2. ^ Showalter, M. R.; Hamilton, D. P. (3 June 2015). "Resonant interactions and chaotic rotation of Pluto's small moons". Nature. 522 (7554): 45–49. Bibcode:2015Natur.522...45S. doi:10.1038/nature14469. PMID 26040889. S2CID 205243819.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference phasecurves was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Porter2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Weaver2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Northon, Karen (3 June 2015). "NASA's Hubble Finds Pluto's Moons Tumbling in Absolute Chaos".
  7. ^ Lakdawalla, Emily. "DPS 2015: Pluto's small moons Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra [UPDATED]". www.planetary.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weaver2016-supp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stern06b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference plutomoons was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference scimag000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cain, Fraser (3 September 2015). "Pluto's Moon Nix". www.universetoday.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference SimonPort2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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