396-pluto-charon-compared-dixon –This astronomical infographic side-by-side comparison features the dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, isolated against a plain black background to illustrate their relative scales, surface compositions, and coloration. Pluto on the left appears as a highly textured sphere showing prominent mottled reddish-brown terrains, dark equatorial bands, bright icy patches, and a thin, glowing atmospheric limb of pale blue. Charon on the right is rendered at its proper relative scale, displaying a starkly contrasting neutral gray, heavily cratered icy surface marked by a prominent network of bright rays emanating from impact sites across its face. - 2008 painting by Don Dixon for Scientific American
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