Facts for Kids

Kerberos is a tiny moon that orbits around the dwarf planet Pluto! 🪐

It was discovered in 2011 and named after the three-headed dog from Greek mythology. This little moon is about 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) long, making it smaller than some cities! 🌍

Kerberos is part of a family of moons that also includes Charon, Styx, and Nix. Together, they help scientists learn more about Pluto and how moons are formed in space!

Kerberos orbits Pluto, just like other moons do! 🌑

It takes about 5.5 days to complete one trip around Pluto. That’s longer than the time it takes for Pluto to spin once! Pluto takes around 6.4 Earth days to complete a full rotation. This means that a day on Pluto is a little longer than a week for us here on Earth! 🌎

While Kerberos orbits Pluto, it stays very close to the planet and never moves far away.

Kerberos was found using powerful telescopes at the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011! 👀

The scientists who discovered it wanted to learn more about Pluto's moons. The name "Kerberos" was chosen because it links to the mythological dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld. The name was also suggested by fans during a naming contest! 🐶

This cool find helped scientists understand that Pluto has more than one moon, and Kerberos adds to Pluto’s fascinating family!

Kerberos may be small, but it's still an interesting moon! 🌌

Its longest dimension is about 19 kilometers (11.8 miles). Scientists think that it has a dark surface because of a special type of ice that reflects very little light. The surface might have craters, just like our moon! 🌑

Craters are holes made by space rocks crashing into it. Even though Kerberos is small, it is part of a big story—how moons change over time!

Scientists are excited about studying Kerberos even more in the future! 🧐

After New Horizons, researchers want to use more powerful telescopes to zoom in on Kerberos and get new data. They hope to learn how its surface changes over time and if it might have even more secrets to reveal! 🎉

Understanding Kerberos can also help explain the formation and evolution of other moons in our solar system!

Kerberos is made mostly of ice and rock, which is similar to other Pluto moons! ❄

️ Its surface is thought to be covered with frozen nitrogen and methane. These icy materials makes it very cold! The temperature on Kerberos can be around -220 degrees Celsius (-364 degrees Fahrenheit)! 🥶

Because its surface is dark, scientists believe it might have dust or debris that sticks to it, making Kerberos a unique moon in its icy family!

Kerberos plays an important role in understanding the Pluto system! 📚

By studying its orbit and characteristics, scientists can learn more about how moons are created and what conditions are like far from the sun. 🌓

Also, comparing Kerberos with Pluto’s other moons like Charon helps scientists understand the history of the entire system. Each moon tells a part of a story, and Kerberos is a key player in that tale!

NASA’s New Horizons mission is the most famous exploration that studied Pluto and its moons, including Kerberos! 🚀

Launched in 2006, New Horizons flew by Pluto in July 2015, giving us amazing pictures and data. 📸

Although the spacecraft didn’t land on Kerberos, it collected vital information during its flyby, helping scientists learn about the temperatures and features of Pluto’s moons, including what could be going on with Kerberos!

Kerberos gets its name from mythological tales! 🐕

‍🦺 In ancient Greece, Kerberos was a three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld, stopping souls from escaping! This makes the name very special. By naming the moon after a mythological creature, scientists celebrate how stories connect with science. 🌌

Many cultures have stories about the stars and planets, and Kerberos connects our curiosity about space with ancient legends that people have told for generations!

When comparing Kerberos to other small moons and dwarf planets, there are some cool differences! 🌙

For example, Charon is much larger than Kerberos, as it measures about 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) in diameter! Unlike other small moons, Kerberos is unique because of its shape and hunting size. ⚪

️ It helps create a variety of sizes for celestial bodies around Pluto, making it more interesting to study!