The formation of Charon’s red poles from seasonally cold-trapped volatiles

W. M. Grundy (), D. P. Cruikshank, G. R. Gladstone, C. J. A. Howett, T. R. Lauer, J. R. Spencer, M. E. Summers, M. W. Buie, A. M. Earle, K. Ennico, J. Wm. Parker, S. B. Porter, K. N. Singer, S. A. Stern, A. J. Verbiscer, R. A. Beyer, R. P. Binzel, B. J. Buratti, J. C. Cook, C. M. Dalle Ore, C. B. Olkin, A. H. Parker, S. Protopapa, E. Quirico, K. D. Retherford, S. J. Robbins, B. Schmitt, J. A. Stansberry, O. M. Umurhan, H. A. Weaver, L. A. Young, A. M. Zangari, V. J. Bray, A. F. Cheng, W. B. McKinnon, R. L. McNutt, J. M. Moore, F. Nimmo, D. C. Reuter and P. M. Schenk
Additional contact information
W. M. Grundy: Lowell Observatory
D. P. Cruikshank: NASA Ames Research Center
G. R. Gladstone: Southwest Research Institute
C. J. A. Howett: Southwest Research Institute
T. R. Lauer: National Optical Astronomy Observatory
J. R. Spencer: Southwest Research Institute
M. E. Summers: George Mason University
M. W. Buie: Southwest Research Institute
A. M. Earle: Massachussetts Institute of Technology
K. Ennico: NASA Ames Research Center
J. Wm. Parker: Southwest Research Institute
S. B. Porter: Southwest Research Institute
K. N. Singer: Southwest Research Institute
S. A. Stern: Southwest Research Institute
A. J. Verbiscer: University of Virginia
R. A. Beyer: NASA Ames Research Center
R. P. Binzel: Massachussetts Institute of Technology
B. J. Buratti: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
J. C. Cook: Southwest Research Institute
C. M. Dalle Ore: NASA Ames Research Center
C. B. Olkin: Southwest Research Institute
A. H. Parker: Southwest Research Institute
S. Protopapa: University of Maryland
E. Quirico: Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG
K. D. Retherford: Southwest Research Institute
S. J. Robbins: Southwest Research Institute
B. Schmitt: Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG
J. A. Stansberry: Space Telescope Science Institute
O. M. Umurhan: NASA Ames Research Center
H. A. Weaver: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
L. A. Young: Southwest Research Institute
A. M. Zangari: Southwest Research Institute
V. J. Bray: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
A. F. Cheng: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
W. B. McKinnon: Washington University in St Louis
R. L. McNutt: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
J. M. Moore: NASA Ames Research Center
F. Nimmo: University of California, Santa Cruz
D. C. Reuter: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
P. M. Schenk: Lunar and Planetary Institute

Nature, 2016, vol. 539, issue 7627, 65-68

Abstract: The unusual dark red coloration of Charon’s northern polar cap is shown to be produced from hydrocarbons that are cold-trapped from Pluto’s escaping atmosphere during winter.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/nature19340

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