1 day / second
0.5 AU
Kerberos
Moon of Pluto
A tiny, irregularly shaped moon of Pluto discovered in 2011, estimated to be only about 12 kilometers across and orbiting between Nix and Hydra at a distance of about 58,000 kilometers from Pluto.
Key Facts
learn more | Wikipedia |
mass | 1.6500e+16 kg |
radius | 6 km |
semi-major axis | 57,783 km |
eccentricity | 0.003 |
inclination | 0.389º |
longitude of the ascending node | 225.2º |
argument of periapsis | 187.6º |
orbital period | 34.259 days |
sidereal rotation period | 5.31 days |
axial tilt | 96º |
surface gravity | 0.003 g |
discovery date | June 28, 2011 |
discovered by | Mark Robert Showalter using the Hubble Space Telescope |
name origins | Named after Cerberus, the three-headed dog guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology |
dimensions | Approximately 29 km in diameter |
albedo | 0.35 |
Parent Dwarf Planet
134340 Pluto
A frigid dwarf planet orbiting in the distant Kuiper Belt, characterized by its reddish-brown coloring, prominent heart-shaped plain, thin nitrogen atmosphere, and five moons including its largest companion Charon.
Spacecraft Visits
New Horizons
Flyby
Launched in 2006, visited in 2015
During its historic Pluto system flyby on July 14, 2015, New Horizons passed within 396,000 kilometers of Kerberos, revealing it to be a small, irregularly shaped moon measuring approximately 12 kilometers across.
