How many years until Pluto gets eclipsed by Charon once again?

What planet's only moon is named Charon?

There is no such planet. Charon is the name of one of the moons of Pluto. Pluto has four other moons in addition to Charon, but they were not discovered until much later. Additionally, as of 2006 Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

What solar system is plutos right now?

Pluto (and Charon) is still orbiting Sol, and most likely will orbit Sol until either Sol or Pluto-Charon is destroyed.

What are the atmospheric characteristics of Jupiter?

Since there have been no spacecraft probes to fly-by Pluto, and there will not be one until 2015, not much is known about this icy planet. Much of what scientists know are observations made from Charon eclipsing Pluto and Pluto's chance encounter in occulting (covering up) a star. When Pluto occulted a star, a haze was revealed suggesting that Pluto likely has an extremely thin atmosphere. This atmosphere is probably made up of a blend of nitrogen and methane. These elements may exist as a gas when Pluto is closest to the Sun, but would then freeze as Pluto moves further away.

How many more years until Pluto will orbit the sun?

Pluto takes about 248 Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun, so it will orbit the sun again in about 180 years.

How Many Satellites Orbit The Planet Pluto?

The dwarf planet Pluto has four natural satellites, or moons. The largest, Charon, is more than half the size of Pluto, which could make the two a co-orbiting pair or dual planetary system. The other two named moons are Nix and Hydra. The fourth moon, discovered in 2011, has the provisional designation "S/2011P1", and is sometimes referred to unofficially as "P4."

When was Pluto closer to the sun than Neptune?

Pluto was last closer to the Sun than Neptune between January 23, 1979, and February 11, 1999. This is due to the elliptical nature of Pluto's orbit, causing it to cross inside of Neptune's orbit for that period. Pluto will not be closer to the Sun than Neptune again until March 15, 2285.

What planet was a planet until 2006?

Pluto

Is Pluto a thin or thick atmosphere?

Pluto sometimes has a temporary thin atmosphere, but only during Pluto's Summer. Pluto entered Summer in 1989 and it will last until 2114.

Which planet is sometimes called a double planet?

Charon (1,206 km diameter) is more than half the size of Pluto (diameter 2,274 km). When two objects orbit, like a planet and its moon, they orbit around the shared center of mass, called the barycenter. In most cases, the planet is so much heavier than its moon that the shared center is actually inside the planet, so it's correct to say the moon is orbiting around the planet. In the case of Pluto and Charon, the barycenter is in between the two bodies. This is the reason for calling it a double planet, because neither one really goes around the other, they circle that common center.

Why is there a discussion whether Pluto is or is not a planet?

Pluto was called a planet from its discovery in 1930 until it was re-classified as a "dwarf planet" in 2006. The change in status stems from the fact that, since 1993, astronomers have discovered thousands of objects similar to Pluto in size and composition, in the region of Pluto's orbit. This region is called the Kuiper Belt and the objects are called Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs). Pluto fits with the objects in the Kuiper Belt, and does not fit with either the rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) or the gas giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). Factors that distinguish Pluto from the eight planets include its composition, atmosphere, small size, a comparatively large moon, and the shape of its orbit around the Sun.Composition: Pluto is composed of ice, rock, and frozen gases, similar to the composition of the comet-like objects in the Kuiper Belt (the region beyond Neptune's orbit).Atmosphere: Pluto's atmosphere grows as it moves closer to the Sun and recedes as it moves away. This is similar to the comet-like objects found in its vicinity. The frozen gases sublimate (turn from a solid to a gas) as Pluto moves closer to the Sun and then condense on the surface of Pluto as it moves away from the Sun. In contrast, the atmospheres of the planets do not appear or disappear during their orbits.Small size: Pluto is relatively tiny, having a mass about 1/500th that of Earth (in contrast, Mercury's mass is 1/20th that of Earth). In diameter, Pluto is 1/5th the size of Earth. Although puny on a planetary scale, Pluto is one of the largest objects inhabiting the Kuiper belt.Large moon: Pluto's largest moon, Charon, is a little more than one-half the radius of Pluto and one-eighth its mass. Pluto and Charon are in a "synchronous" orbit: they always show the same face to each other as they orbit. Charon's orbit is only 20,000 km away from Pluto. For comparison, Earth's Moon has about 1/80th the mass of Earth and orbits 400,000 km away. Many astronomers consider Pluto and Charon to be a binary Kuiper Belt object since they orbit a common center. Pluto's two smaller moons, Nix and Hydra, are considerably smaller and more distant from Pluto than is Charon.Orbit around the Sun: Pluto's orbit is more elliptical than that of any of the planets (it actually crosses Neptune's orbit). It is tilted at an inclination of 17.15 degrees relative to the plane of Earth's orbit. The planets all have much smaller inclinations, while the Kuiper Belt objects can have large inclinations like Pluto.

Was Pluto around in 20s?

Yes it was. Pluto was not discovered until 1930, but would have existed for millions of years before that.

This used to be called a planet until recently?

Pluto. From its discovery in 1930 until 2006, it was considered the ninth planet. It was reclassified as a Dwarf planet in August 2006.