New 'Kiss and Capture' Theory Explains Pluto and Charon's Formation

Researchers propose that Pluto's largest moon, Charon, was formed through a brief collision billions of years ago, challenging previous models of moon formation.

The 'kiss and capture' theory suggests that Pluto and Charon formed after a brief collision where the two icy bodies temporarily merged before separating and becoming gravitationally linked.
This mechanism differs from the Earth-moon formation model, which involves molten debris from a massive collision, as Pluto and Charon are smaller, colder, and composed of rock and ice.
Simulations incorporating the structural strength of icy bodies revealed that Charon remained intact during the impact, avoiding full absorption into Pluto and settling into its current orbit over time.
The study, published in Nature Geoscience, also indicates that the collision generated internal heat, potentially contributing to Pluto's suspected subsurface ocean.
Researchers plan to explore whether this process could explain other Kuiper Belt systems with large moons and further investigate how the collision influenced Pluto's geological evolution.