The geological features of

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...

, the largest moon of Pluto, are being mapped by scientists using data from the ''

New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research ...

'' spacecraft. The team has given provisional names to the most prominent. , 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: * 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 Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'', ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'', ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'', ''

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

'', and '' Macross''. 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.

Terrae

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

Dorsa

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

Maculae

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

Plana

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

Montes

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

Chasmata

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

Craters

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

References

External links

Official list of Charon's features
(

IAU The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...

)
Map of Charon
{{Surface features of space objects

Terrae

Dorsa

Maculae

Plana

Montes

Chasmata

Craters

See also

References

External links