Embrace and Ensnare: The Icy Encounter That Forever United Pluto and Charon

A recent study led by Adeene Denton from the University of Arizona has proposed a new model for the formation of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, challenging traditional theories. Instead of being formed through a catastrophic impact, the researchers suggest a "kiss and capture" scenario where these icy bodies briefly fused during their collision and subsequently separated while remaining gravitationally bound in their current binary system. This groundbreaking research highlights the structural integrity of icy worlds, which has been overlooked in previous models that applied the fluid dynamics of larger, hotter bodies like Earth's moon. Using advanced simulations, the team found that Pluto and proto-Charon did not deform like typical collisional bodies but instead temporarily became stuck together before parting ways. This model not only successfully accounts for Charon's orbit but also suggests both bodies retained much of their original composition after the collision. Additionally, the impact may have generated enough internal heat to allow for a subsurface ocean on Pluto. Future research will explore the implications of this mechanism on the geological evolution of Pluto and Charon and investigate similar processes in other binary systems. The findings were published in the journal Nature Geoscience on January 6, 2025.



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