The new images were taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument. WFC3 is able to capture images at a wide range of wavelengths, including visible light and infrared light. This allowed Hubble to capture detailed images of the moons' surfaces and colors.
The images show that Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, is covered in a layer of water ice. The ice is thought to have formed when Charon was still part of Pluto's atmosphere. Nix and Hydra, the two smaller moons, are also covered in water ice. However, they also have some dark patches on their surfaces. These patches may be composed of a mixture of ice and rock.
Kerberos and Styx, the two smallest moons, are both very dark in color. The darkness of these moons may be due to the fact that they are largely composed of rock, but some scientists also think that their composition may contain a combination of rock and icy volatile material such as methane or carbon monoxide ices. Additional information about their composition awaits missions that will provide further observations through close-up flybys of these unique celestial bodies.
The new images from Hubble provide valuable information about Pluto's moons. They help us to learn more about the formation and evolution of these fascinating objects.
In addition to the new images, Hubble also made a short video of Pluto and its moons. The video shows the moons orbiting Pluto. It also shows the different colors of the moons.
