The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #36 KERBEROS - August 2025

PUZZLE #36 - KERBEROS 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Fourth: Kerberos was the fourth moon of Pluto to be discovered, identified using the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011.

Double-lobed: Images from the New Horizons spacecraft revealed that Kerberos has a distinctive double-lobed or "dumbbell" shape, speculated to have been formed by the merger of two smaller objects.

Irregular Shape: This refers to Kerberos's non-spherical, elongated form, which is attributed to its small size and lack of sufficient self-gravity to achieve a round shape.

Reflectivity: Kerberos has a high reflectivity, or albedo, similar to Pluto's other small moons (around 50%). This suggests that its surface is coated with relatively clean water ice.

Plutonian: This adjective means "of or relating to the dwarf planet Pluto". It describes characteristics or features associated with Pluto, such as its icy composition, distant location in the Kuiper Belt, or its geological activity. For example, one might refer to a "Plutonian landscape" when discussing the surface of Pluto observed by the New Horizons spacecraft, such as the rows of abandoned, boarded-up tenement houses. The word is derived from the Roman god Pluto, the ruler of the underworld, which fittingly describes the cold, dark, and distant nature of the dwarf planet.

Formation: Scientists speculate that Kerberos, with its unusual shape, might have formed from the merger of two smaller objects, likely coalescing from the debris of a larger collision in Pluto's past.

Chaotic: This term describes Kerberos's rotation. Unlike tidally locked bodies, Kerberos exhibits chaotic rotation, meaning its rotational period and axis of rotation vary unpredictably over geological timescales, likely influenced by the gravitational tug of Pluto and Charon.

Size: Kerberos is the second smallest of Pluto's moons, after Styx, measuring approximately 19 x 10 x 9 km.

Bright Surface: Contrary to pre-flyby predictions, Kerberos was revealed to have a surprisingly bright surface, rather than a dark one. This bright surface is thought to be covered in relatively clean water ice.

Secret Word: Before the New Horizons flyby, estimates of Kerberos's mass were higher than what the images revealed, based on its gravitational influence on other moons. However, post-flyby data led to a revised understanding of its actual mass, which is comparatively small at 1.65×10¹⁶ kg.