Nix (the moon)

Nix is a Natural satellite of Pluton, which carried until June 22nd, 2006 temporary designation S/2005 P 2 .

Discovered

Nix was photographiée in May 2005 by the Space telescope Hubble (at the same time as Hydra) at the time of the research program of satellites of Pluto Pluto Companion Search , composed of Hall A. Weaver, S. Alan Stern, max J. Mutchler, Andrew J. Steffl, Marc W. Buie, William J. Merline, John R. Spencer, Eliot F. Young and Leslie A. Young. The two moons originally were discovered by max J. Mutchler on June 15th, 2005 and were announced, once confirmed by other observations, on October 31st, 2005.

Nix, a strange orthography

S/2005 P 2 should have been called Nyx, of the name of the goddess and personification of the Night.

However, there exists already a homonymous Astéroïde areocroisor, 3908 Nyx , discovered on August 6th, 1980 by Hans-Emil Schuster.

The Egyptian orthography of the goddess of the night, Nix , then was essential to avoid any confusion.

Orbits

Nix Orbit around the Barycentre of the system in the same plan as Charon and Hydra, with the distance of approximately 50.000 km, on an almost circular orbit. Its orbital period is 24,9 days, that is to say a variation compared to a Résonance 1:4 with Charon of 2,7%.

Characteristics

The physical characteristics of Nix are not yet known with precision (at the end of 2005). Its size is estimated between 44 and 130 km, according to whether the actual value of sound Albédo is of 35% (like Charon) or 4% (like the darkest objects transneptuniens), and is about as luminous as Hydra, which suggests that the two moons would have the same size.

Nix, Charon and Hydra are of gray color whereas Pluton is red. The two colors (red and gray) are common in the Ceinture of Kuiper, but their diversity within the Plutonian system is not easily compatible with the theory of the formation of this one at the time of an astronomical impact.

The moon will be visited at the same time as Pluton by the probe New Horizons in 2015.

See too

Internal bonds

Pluto

External bonds

Circular n° 8625 of the international astronomical Union describing the discovery (file .pdf)
'' Background Information Regarding Our Two Newly Discovered Satellites off Pluto '' (site of the team having made the discovery)
'' NASA' S Possible Hubble Reveals New Moons Around Pluto '' (press release of the agency managing the Hubble space telescope)
'' Two More Moons Discovered Orbiting Pluto '' (article of space.com)

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