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ASTRONOMY FOR KIDS

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The Sun

Learn About The Planets

Learn About The Moons of Our Solar System

Learn About Asteroids And Comets

Asteroids

Comets

All Planets (For Printing)
All Moons

Make-A-Solar System

The Moon That Orbit's Pluto
Pluto is not a planet. However, it does have a moon that orbits it. In truth, these two small worlds actually orbit each other.

Pluto has one moon
Charon

Until 1978 it was believed that Pluto was much larger. Through a telescope on Earth Charon and Pluto look like they are the same object. However in 1978 Jim Christy discovered that what we used to think was one object, were really two.

Charon and Pluto keep the same face towards each other at all times. This means that imaginary aliens living on one side of Charon would never see Pluto, and imaginary aliens living on the opposite side of Pluto would never see Charon.

Charon is named for the god who ferried the dead across the River Acheron into the underworld.