Surface compositions across Pluto and Charon

W. M. Grundy (1) , R. P. Binzel (2) , B. J. Buratti (3) , J. C. Cook , D. P. Cruikshank , C. M. Dalle Ore , A. M. Earle , K. Ennico (4) , C. J. A. Howett , A. W. Lunsford , C. B. Olkin (5) , A. H. Parker (6, 7) , S. Philippe (8) , S. Protopapa (5) , E. Quirico (8) , D. C. Reuter (9) , B. Schmitt (8) , K. N. Singer , A. J. Verbiscer , R. A. Beyer , M. W. Buie (1) , A. F. Cheng , D. E. Jennings (9) , I. R. Linscott , J. Wm. Parker , P. M. Schenk , J. R. Spencer , J. A. Stansberry , S. A. Stern (10) , H. B. Throop , C. C. C. Tsang , H. A. Weaver , G. E. Weigle , L. A. Young (10)

1 Lowell Observatory [Flagstaff]
2 IMCCE - Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Ephémérides
3 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4 ARC - NASA Ames Research Center
5 SwRI - Southwest Research Institute [Boulder]
6 UVIC - University of Victoria [Canada]
7 CfA - Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
8 IPAG - Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble
9 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
10 SwRI Planetary Science Directorate [Boulder]

The New Horizons spacecraft mapped colors and infrared spectra across the encounter hemispheres of Pluto and Charon. The volatile methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen ices that dominate Pluto’s surface have complicated spatial distributions resulting from sublimation, condensation, and glacial flow acting over seasonal and geological time scales. Pluto’s water ice “bedrock” was also mapped, with isolated outcrops occurring in a variety of settings. Pluto’s surface exhibits complex regional color diversity associated with its distinct provinces. Charon’s color pattern is simpler, dominated by neutral low latitudes and a reddish northern polar region. Charon’s near-infrared spectra reveal highly localized areas with strong ammonia absorption tied to small craters with relatively fresh-appearing impact ejecta.

Keywords: Pluton; Charon; Surface; composition; New Horizons mission

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]

W. M. Grundy, R. P. Binzel, B. J. Buratti, J. C. Cook, D. P. Cruikshank, et al.. Surface compositions across Pluto and Charon. Science, 2016, 351, ⟨10.1126/science.aad9189⟩. ⟨insu-03691560⟩