More information: Tanguy Bertrand et al, Evidence of haze control of Pluto's atmospheric heat balance from JWST/MIRI thermal light curves, Nature Astronomy (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-025-02573-z ...

Key takeaways The haze particles that dominate Pluto’s atmosphere—such as nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide—control the atmosphere’s energy balance as the particles are heated and cooled. This ...

Now, a team of researchers has suggested that Pluto may have secured Charon through a newly described “kiss and capture” mechanism that challenges previous theories.

NEWS AND VIEWS 13 January 2025 Did Pluto ‘kiss and capture’ its largest moon? Cutting-edge simulations reveal a new potential mechanism by which Pluto trapped its biggest satellite, Charon.