# @nasa on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Da3FLqQE7-Z
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67906517-nasa-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c97dcad389.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-16T16:34:36.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** NASA (@NASA) — https://gondola.cc/NASA

## Caption

Who's that moon?

It's Charon! Charon is the largest moon of Pluto; it's about half the size of the dwarf planet. This makes it the largest known satellite by comparison to the body it orbits. Because of this, the two are sometimes called a double dwarf planet system.

The same side of Charon always faces Pluto, like how our Moon always shows the same side to Earth. But unlike Earth, which spins freely while our Moon watches, the same side of Pluto always faces Charon as well. This phenomenon is called mutual tidal locking, meaning that the two worlds watch each other in their perpetual dance around the Sun.

This photo was snapped by our New Horizons spacecraft as it flew by Pluto and its moons.

Credit: NASA

#NASA #Moon #Charon

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## Tags

nasa, charon, moon

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