Annotated map of Charon, with IAU-approved names for features as of 2018

The geological features of Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, are being mapped by scientists using data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The team has given provisional names to the most prominent.

As of April 2020, only some of the names have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union, which has agreed that names for features on Charon should come from the following:[1][2]

  • Destinations and milestones of fictional space and other exploration.
  • Fictional and mythological vessels of space and other exploration.
  • Fictional and mythological voyagers, travellers and explorers.
  • Authors and artists associated with space exploration, especially Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

Some features discovered by the New Horizons mission have been given provisional names based on various science fiction and fantasy franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Alien, Firefly, and Macross.[3] These names remain unofficial until accepted by the IAU.

On 11 April 2018, the IAU announced that several of the feature names had been officially recognized.[4]

Terrae

A terra is an extensive landmass or highland. Charon's only highland region is named after a fictional destination.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
Oz Terra[5]Land of OzThe setting for L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz children's novel—

Dorsa

A dorsum is a ridge. Charon's only dorsum is named after an author.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
McCaffrey DorsumAnne McCaffreyAmerican-Irish science fiction author, best known for the Dragonriders of Pern series2020-08-05 · WGPSN

Maculae

A macula is a dark spot. Charonian maculae are being named after fictional destinations.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
Gallifrey MaculaGallifreyPlanet in the Doctor Who series—
Mordor MaculaMordorLand in the Tolkien mythology—

Plana

A planum is a plateau or an elevated plain, Charon's only planum is named after a fictional destination.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
Vulcan PlanumVulcanPlanet in the Star Trek series—

Montes

A mons is a mountain. Montes on Charon are being named after authors and artists.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
Butler MonsOctavia E. Butlerscience-fiction author2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Clarke MontesArthur C. Clarkescience-fiction author2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Kubrick MonsStanley Kubrickfilm director2018-04-11 · WGPSN

Chasmata

A chasma is a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression. Charonian chasmata are being named after vessels in fiction.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
Argo ChasmaArgoship in the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, as well as the spaceship in the English translation of the Space Battleship Yamato anime series2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Caleuche ChasmaCaleuchemythological ghost ship that travels the seas around the small island of Chiloé Island, off the coast of Chile, collecting the dead, who then live aboard it forever2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Macross ChasmaSDF-1 Macrossspaceship in the Macross anime series—
Mandjet Chasma[6] Mandjet solar boat of the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Nostromo ChasmaNostromospaceship in the Alien films—
Serenity ChasmaSerenityspaceship in the Firefly series—
Tardis ChasmaTARDISspaceship/timeship in the Doctor Who series—

Craters

Photo of Charon centered on Ripley Crater. Nostromo Chasma crosses Ripley vertically. Vader is the dark crater at 12:00, Organa Crater is at 9:00, Skywalker Crater at 8:00, Gallifrey Macula and Tardis Chasma at 4:00.

Craters on Charon are named after characters associated with science fiction and fantasy.

FeatureNamed afterDetailsName approved
(Date · Ref)
AliceAliceprotagonist of two novels by Lewis Carroll—
Cora Cora protagonist of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 2020-08-05 · WGPSN
Dorothy[7]Dorothy Galeprotagonist of the Oz novels by L. Frank Baum2018-04-11 · WGPSN
Kaguya-HimeKaguya-Himeprincess from the Moon in a Japanese folk tale—
KirkJames T. Kirkcharacter in the Star Trek series—
OrganaLeia Organacharacter in the Star Wars films—
NasreddinNasreddinSufi traveller from folklore2018-04-11 · WGPSN
NemoCaptain Nemocharacter in novels by Jules Verne2018-04-11 · WGPSN
PirxPilot Pirxmain character in short stories by Stanisław Lem2018-04-11 · WGPSN
RevatiRevatimain character in the Hindu epic narrative Mahabharata2018-04-11 · WGPSN
RipleyEllen Ripleycharacter in the Alien films—
SadkoSadkoadventurer who traveled to the bottom of the sea in the medieval Russian epic Bylina2018-04-11 · WGPSN
SkywalkerLuke Skywalkercharacter in the Star Wars films—
SpockSpockcharacter in the Star Trek series—
SuluHikaru Sulucharacter in the Star Trek series—
UhuraNyota Uhuracharacter in the Star Trek series—
VaderDarth Vadercharacter in the Star Wars films—

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Naming of Astronomical Objects". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Official Naming of Surface Features on Pluto and its Satellites". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Brown, Andrew R.; Byrd, Deborah (August 2015). "First maps of Charon and Pluto". earthsky.org. EarthSky Communications Inc. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon, Gets Its First Official Feature Names". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Singer, Kelsi. "New Horizons: Peering into Pluto's Past". New Horizons. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Moore, Jeffrey M.; McKinnon, William B.; Spencer, John R.; Howard, Alan D.; Schenk, Paul M.; Beyer, Ross A.; Nimmo, Francis; Singer, Kelsi N.; Umurhan, Orkan M. (2016-03-18). "The geology of Pluto and Charon through the eyes of New Horizons". Science. 351 (6279): 1284–1293. arXiv:1604.05702. Bibcode:2016Sci...351.1284M. doi:10.1126/science.aad7055. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 26989245. S2CID 206644622.
  7. ↑ Grundy, W. M.; et al. (2016). "Surface compositions across Pluto and Charon". Science. Science 351. 351 (6279): aad9189. arXiv:1604.05368. Bibcode:2016Sci...351.9189G. doi:10.1126/science.aad9189. PMID 26989260. S2CID 1247225.
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