Kerberos (moon)
Kerberos is a small natural satellite of Pluto, about 19 km (12 mi) in its longest dimension. Kerberos is also the second-smallest moon of Pluto, after Styx. It was the fourth moon of Pluto to be discovered and its existence was announced on 20 July 2011. It was imaged, along with Pluto and its four other moons, by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015. The first image of Kerberos from the flyby was released to the public on 22 October 2015.
Kerberos imaged by New Horizons on 14 July 2015 from a distance of 396,100 km | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Showalter, M. R. et al. |
| Discovery date | 28 June 2011 (verified 20 July 2011) |
| Designations | |
Designation | Pluto IV |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɜːrbərɒs, -əs/ |
Named after | Κέρβερος Kerberos |
| S/2011 (134340) 1 S/2011 P 1 | |
| Adjectives | Kerberean /kɜːrˈbɪəriən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 57783±19 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.00328 ± 0.00020 |
| 32.16756±0.00014 d | |
| Inclination | 0.389°±0.037° |
| Satellite of | Pluto |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 19 × 10 × 9 km |
| Mass | 1.65×1016 kg |
| 5.31 ± 0.10 d (chaotic) | |
| 96° | |
| Albedo | 0.56 ± 0.05 |
| 26.1±0.3 | |
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