Charon, Pluto’s planetary bestie goes viral as NASA shares stunning snapshot

Mysteries abound and wonders never cease in the vast expanse of space. NASA has once again captivated the world with a mesmerising glimpse into the cosmos. This time, it wasn't just any celestial marvel but a striking portrait of planetary companionship - Pluto and its planetary bestie and moon, Charon.

Shared by NASA on its social media handle, the image was captured by the New Horizons spacecraft just before its closest encounter with Pluto on July 14, 2015. NASA also accompanied the post with a caption and shared that the besties are "sometimes referred to as a double dwarf planet system."

"Charon is the largest of Pluto's five moons – Charon is 754 miles (1,214 km) across, and Pluto is about 1,400 miles wide. The distance between them is 12,200 miles (19,640 km)," NASA said in the caption of the post.

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But it's not just their proportions that intrigue scientists. The post also shared a remarkable phenomenon - mutual tidal locking. "The same surfaces of Charon and Pluto always face each other," NASA explained, highlighting that it is called"a phenomenon called mutual tidal locking."

Describing the image itself, NASA detailed the features of Charon, depicting its predominantly grey surface with a reddish north polar region, countless impact craters, and a distinctive ridge dividing its terrain.

The internet, as expected, erupted in awe and wonder at this cosmic spectacle.

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Since its posting on March 22, the image garnered over 6,00,000 views and sparked a flurry of comments from intrigued netizens.

One user marvelled at the uncanny resemblance of Charon to a bun."Wow, it looks like a delicious bun! NASA what are you doing! Now I wanted to eat in the middle of the night!"

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Others pondered the timeless beauty of space photography."Crazy to think this image is already nearly 10 years old, space photography truly is timeless," one user wrote.

One witty observer even likened Charon to a tortilla in a playful banter.

Amid the whimsical musings, genuine inquiries also seemed to arise about the origins of the moon's craters.

"What causes all those craters?" one user questioned."This is very beautiful," another user said in awe.

(With inputs from agencies)