Astronomers observe Pluto and its moons
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - 16:50
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Williams College team of astronomers, headed by Bryce Babcock and Jay Pasachoff, have been in Hawaii, near Honolulu, to observe a rare double-double event about Pluto. On June 23rd, they observed an occultation, a hiding, when Plutos largest moon, Charon, only 755 miles across, went in front of (occulted) a star, revealing its size accurately as well as the absence of any atmosphere. About 11 minutes later, Pluto went in front of the same star, though the astronomers and their students have to analyze their observations to see if they detected that second event.