Pluto & Charon’s Cosmic Tango: A 'Kiss and Capture' Story

Researchers from the University of Arizona unveiled a quirky twist in Pluto and Charon’s tale: a gentle 'kiss and capture' collision about 4.5 billion years ago. Unlike Earth and Moon’s fiery embrace, these icy titans locked into a harmonious binary dance without merging, thanks to their rocky resilience. Thanks to New Horizons’ 2015 flyby and precise simulations, this theory not only challenges moon formation norms but also winks at other Kuiper Belt couples like Orcus and Vanth.