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Because the barycenter of the Pluto-Charon lies between the two bodies, it is a binary system, and one could extrapolate the definition of a dwarf Planet to include Charon. However, the IAU has not yet defined a binary dwarf planet. So the answer is yes and no. If you were to adhere to the current IAU opinion, Charon is a moon. If you would like to adhere to the physics of the system, then yes, they are binary.

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11y ago
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5mo ago

Charon is actually a moon of the dwarf planet Pluto. They form a binary system, where they both orbit around a central point, rather than Charon being a binary dwarf planet itself.

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Q: Is charon a binary dwarf planet?
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Related questions

How many moons has the dwarf planet Pluto?

The dwarf planet Pluto and its binary partner Charon have two moons, Nix and Hydra.


What planet does the moon Charon orbit?

It is undecided whether Charon is Pluto's moon or if it is in a binary planet system with Pluto (which is actually a dwarf planet). But using Pluto's orbit, it takes about 248 Earth years (90,613 days) to orbit the Sun completely.


Who found planet Charon and when did they find it?

The is no planet Charon. Charon is a moon of the dwarf planet Pluto. Charon was discovered by James Christy in 1978.


Is Charon the smallest planet?

No. Charon is not a planet; it is the largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto. The smallest planet is Mercury.


Which category of solar system bodies is Pluto in?

Pluto has two relevant categorizations: it is a dwarf planet, and it is a binary planet. A dwarf planet is an object that is massive enough to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium, but not large enough to clear the surrounding area, and is not a natural satellite. Pluto is binary because it orbits another dwarf planet, Charon. Pluto and Charon have three moons, Nix, Hydra, and S/2011 P 1 (P4 for short).


Is charon a dwarf planet?

No.It is a satellite (moon) of Pluto, which itself was declared a "Dwarf Planet" at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Symposium in 2006.Pluto is very small - only 2/3rds the size of Earth's moon. Charon is 1/2 that size - which is large enough that the IAU would have faced calling Pluto-Charon a "Double Planet" if they had decided to call Pluto one.However, IAU's decision was based upon the fact that there are MANY objects in similar orbits to Pluto's (some even larger than Pluto itself, such as Eris), and we would have ended up listing dozens (possibly hundreds) of objects as "Planets"No. Charon is not a planet; it is a moon of the dwarf planet Pluto.


Charon is the largest satellite of which planet?

Charon is the largest satellite of Pluto.


When was Charon the dwarf planet discovered?

It was discovered in 1978. But it's not a dwarf planet. It's a moon of the dwarf planet Pluto.


Do Pluto and Charon have gaseous surfaces?

No. The planet Pluto is a solid dwarf planet. The moon Charon is a solid moon.


How many rings does charon have?

Charon is the largest satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto.It has no rings.


How many double planet systems are in the solar system?

There are no double planet systems in our solar system. The closest to being considered a double planet are Pluto and its largest moon Charon, but since Charon is significantly smaller than Pluto, it is not classified as a double planet system.


What planet has a moon named Charon?

The planet with a moon named Charon is Pluto. Charon is the largest of Pluto's five moons and it is about half the size of Pluto itself.