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How big is Dysnomia?

Dysnomia is 140 kilometers

Introduction

Have you ever wondered about the size of things apart from what you see around you? There are celestial bodies that are much smaller and farther away than we can imagine. One such fascinating entity is Dysnomia, the moon of the dwarf planet Eris. Its name comes from ancient Greek mythology, where Dysnomia was the daughter of the goddess Eris.

What is Dysnomia?

Dysnomia is a moon of Eris, a dwarf planet that is part of our solar system. It was discovered in 2005 by Mike Brown and his team at the W.M. Keck Observatory. Despite being a moon, Dysnomia is not like our Moon. In fact, it is much smaller and quite different in appearance.

Dysnomia’s Size

Dysnomia’s estimated diameter is about 615 kilometers. To put that in perspective, consider the following comparisons:

  • If Earth were the size of a basketball, Dysnomia would be roughly the size of a grape.
  • Dysnomia is nearly 100 times smaller than Earth’s diameter.
  • Dysnomia is about half the size of Pluto’s moon, Charon, which is the largest known moon of a dwarf planet. Even though Dysnomia is significantly smaller than many other celestial bodies, it is still an interesting object due to its unique properties.

Dysnomia’s Composition and Appearance

Though Dysnomia’s size is small, it has a distinctive physical makeup and appearance. Here are some key facts about it:

  • Dysnomia is thought to be mainly composed of ice. This is because it’s less dense than many other celestial bodies.
  • Unlike the bright, icy surface of Eris, Dysnomia has a very dark surface. It reflects only about 5% of the light that hits it. This makes it look more like other objects of similar size in the farthest reaches of our solar system, known as trans-Neptunian objects.

Origin of Dysnomia

Scientists believe that Dysnomia was formed from a large impact on Eris, similar to how our Earth-Moon system was formed. This theory suggests that a large body hit Eris, and the resulting debris eventually came together to form Dysnomia. This is a common way that many binary systems (two celestial bodies orbiting around each other) in our solar system are thought to have been created.

Conclusion

Dysnomia may be a tiny speck in the vastness of the universe, but it’s an important part of our solar system and holds many fascinating secrets. No matter its size, every celestial body, from the smallest moon to the largest planet, plays a unique role in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Isn’t it exciting to think about how much there is to discover beyond our own planet?

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