Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Charon: Moon of Pluto

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 3, 2023 is “Charon: Moon of Pluto,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory. The original explanation runs about 192 words.

Charon: Moon of Pluto
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“A darkened and mysterious north polar region known to some as Mordor Macula caps this premier high-resolution view. The portrait of Charon , Pluto’s largest moon, was captured by New Horizons near the spacecraft’s closest approach on July 14, 2015.”

— APOD editors, June 3, 2023

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
June 3, 2023
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: NASA , Johns Hopkins Univ./APL , Southwest Research Institute , U.S. Naval Observatory
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 192 words

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Topics in this entry

The Moon

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.