Charon
Charon is a natural satellite of Pluto, composed mainly of rock and water ice.
1,212 kmMean diameterWorlds apart
Charon vs Pluto
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Pluto
Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, composed of rock and ice and orbiting the Sun.
2,377 kmMean diameterPluto has about 1.96 times the mean diameter of Charon.
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Charon
Rounded mean-radius model of Charon. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.
NASA JPL — Planetary satellite physical parameters
The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Pluto
Mean-radius spherical model for Pluto; actual shape is not perfectly spherical.
NASA JPL — planetary physical parameters
The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares mean diameter with mean diameter. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Charon
1,212 kmMean diameter · approximate
Rounded mean-radius model of Charon. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.
Pluto
2,377 kmMean diameter · approximate
Mean-radius spherical model for Pluto; actual shape is not perfectly spherical.
- Comparing
- Mean diameter ↔ Mean diameter
- Relative size
- Pluto is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 1.96. Pluto's selected measurement is approximately 96.1% greater than Charon's.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
- Charon is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
- Pluto is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
SpaceCharon1,212 kmCharon is a natural satellite of Pluto, composed mainly of rock and water ice.SpacePluto2,377 kmPluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, composed of rock and ice and orbiting the Sun.
SpaceMoon3,475 kmThe Moon is Earth’s natural satellite and the brightest large object in Earth’s night sky.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.
SpaceJupiter139,800 kmJupiter is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, orbiting the Sun beyond the asteroid belt.
SpaceSun1,391,000 kmThe Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System.Side by side
Another point of view.
