Cryovolcanism and Resurfacing on Pluto’s Largest Moon, Charon

What processes during the formation of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, potentially led to it having cryovolcanism, and even an internal ocean? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated the formation and evolution of Charon to ascertain whether it once possessed an internal ocean during its history and if this could have led to cryovolcanism based on images obtained by NASA’s New Horizons probe.

Jun 27, 2025 - 04:12
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Cryovolcanism and Resurfacing on Pluto’s Largest Moon, Charon

False-color image of Charon using red, blue, and infrared filters to highlight specific surface features. (Credit: NASA/JPL-JHU/SWRI)

What processes during the formation of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, potentially led to it having cryovolcanism, and even an internal ocean? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated the formation and evolution of Charon to ascertain whether it once possessed an internal ocean during its history and if this could have led to cryovolcanism based on images obtained by NASA’s New Horizons probe.