Hydra (moon)
Hydra is a natural satellite of Pluto, with a diameter of approximately 51 km (32 mi) across its longest dimension. It is the second-largest moon of Pluto, being slightly larger than Nix. Hydra was discovered along with Nix by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope on 15 May 2005, and was named after the Hydra, the nine-headed underworld serpent in Greek mythology. By distance, Hydra is the fifth and outermost moon of Pluto, orbiting beyond Pluto's fourth moon Kerberos.
Near true-color image of Hydra, taken by New Horizons on 14 July 2015 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Hubble Space Telescope |
| Discovery date | 15 May 2005 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Pluto III |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪdrə/ |
Named after | Lernaean Hydra |
Alternative names | S/2005 P 1 |
| Adjectives | Hydrian /ˈhaɪdriən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
Semi-major axis | 64738±3 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.005862±0.000025 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 38.20177±0.00003 d |
| Inclination | 0.242°±0.005° |
| Satellite of | Pluto |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 50.9 km × 36.1 km × 30.9 km (Geometric mean of 38 km) |
| Mass | (3.01±0.30)×1016 kg: 10 |
Mean density | 1.220±0.150 g/cm3: 10 |
Surface gravity | 0.00520055269 g |
Synodic rotation period | 0.4295 d (10.31 h) (July 2015) |
| 110° | |
| Albedo | 0.83 ± 0.08 (geometric) |
| Temperature | 23 K |
| 22.9–23.3 (measured) | |
Hydra has a highly reflective surface caused by the presence of water ice, similar to other Plutonian moons. Hydra's reflectivity is intermediate, in between those of Pluto and Charon. The New Horizons spacecraft imaged Pluto and its moons in July 2015 and returned multiple images of Hydra.