Serenity Chasma is the unofficial name given to a large pull-apart fault on Pluto's moon, Charon.[2] It is part of a series of faults that run along the perimeter of Vulcan Planum. It was discovered by the New Horizons mission, and informally named after the fictitious spaceship, Serenity.
Location | Pluto-facing side of Charon |
---|---|
Coordinates | 19°N 5°W / 19°N 5°W[1] |
Length | 200 km |
Width | 40–50 km |
Depth | 5–7 km |
Discoverer | New Horizons |
Eponym | Serenity, a spaceship in the Firefly series |
Serenity Chasma is 200 km (120 mi) long, and about 5–7 km (3.1–4.3 mi) deep, and its typical width is 40–50 km (25–31 mi).[3] The northern wall continues for an additional 200 km as a scarp after exiting the chasma. The chasma is part of a global tectonic belt; a series of canyons, scarps, and troughs that traverse the face of Charon.[4] This series of faults is the longest known in the solar system.[2]
Serenity Chasma formed as the result of a subsurface ocean on Charon, which expanded as it froze. This expansion pushed the Oz Terra region higher and produced the fault belt across Charon's equatorial region.[2]
Landslides have been observed within Serenity Chasma. This is the only known occurrence of landslides in the Kuiper Belt.[5]
The lower portion of the Image shows colour-coded topography of the same scene Measurements of the shape of this feature tell scientists that Charon's Water ice layer may have at least partially liquid in its early history