A new study suggests that the dwarf planet Pluto and its moon Charon formed together through a collision, rather than being separated by giant impacts. The “kiss and capture” mechanism proposes that the two bodies collided, stuck together briefly, and then separated while remaining gravitationally bound.
The idea contradicts previous theories about Charon’s formation, which suggested it must have originated from a giant impact like the one that formed Earth’s Moon. However, the properties of Pluto and Charon are difficult to resolve using this model due to their small size and cold composition. The researchers found that the strength of these materials prevented them from behaving like Earth and the Moon during a giant impact.
Instead, simulations show that Pluto and Charon would have stuck together as a contact binary for a time before separating again, keeping their individuality. The team’s models replicated the observed orbital properties of the two bodies perfectly.
The study suggests that the formation of planetary bodies and their companions is more complex and diverse than previously thought. It also provides new insights into Pluto’s evolution over time and its geological features. Understanding how the initial configuration affects Pluto’s surface features is crucial for understanding its geological evolution. The research has been published in Nature Geoscience.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/pluto-and-its-moon-came-together-with-kiss-and-capture-study-says