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Artist’s Illustration of the Chaotic Spin of Pluto’s Moon Nix
This set of artist's illustrations of Pluto's moon Nix shows how the orientation of the moon changes unpredictably as it orbits the "double planet" Pluto-Charon. This illustration is based on dynamical models of spinning bodies in complex gravitational fields – like the field produced by Pluto and Charon's motion about each other. Astronomers used this simulation to try to understand the unpredictable changes in reflected light from Nix as it orbits Pluto-Charon. They also found that Pluto's moon Hydra also undergoes chaotic spin. The football shape of both moons contributes to their wild motion. The consequences are that if you lived on either moon, you could not predict the time or direction the sun would rise the next day. (The moon is too small for Hubble to resolve surface features, and so the surface textures used here are purely for illustration purposes.)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.Data of the minor moons of Pluto were obtained from various HST proposals, including 12436: M. Showalter (SETI Institute) and D. Hamilton (University of Maryland, College Park), who also comprise the science team for this release.
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Nix
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Moon of Pluto
- Release DateJune 3, 2015
- Science ReleaseHubble Finds Two Chaotically Tumbling Pluto Moons
- Credit
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Artist's Animation of the Chaotic Spin of Pluto's Moon Nix
This computer animation illustrates how Pluto's moon Nix changes its spin unpredictably as it orbits the "double planet" Pluto-Charon. The view is from the surface of Pluto as the moon circles the Pluto-Charon system. This is a time-lapse view of the moon, compressing four years...
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
