The United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, is an astronomical observatory near Flagstaff, Arizona, US. It is the national dark-sky observing facility under the United States Naval Observat
Dark-sky operations at the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS)
Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) Layout
The Kaj Strand 1.55-m
The wide field 1.3-m
Charon (moon)
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Charon, formal designation Pluto I, is the largest of the five known natural satellites of the dwarf planet Pluto. It has a mean radius of 606 km. Charon is a planetary-mass moon and the sixth-largest
United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station
…events have included support to the Apollo Astronaut program hosted by USGS' nearby Astrogeology Research Center; and the discovery of Pluto's moon, Charon, in 1978 (discussed below). At an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet (2,300 m), NOFS is home to a number of astronomical instruments (some also…
Charon's discovery at the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station as a time-varying bulge on the image of Pluto (seen near the top at left, but absent on the right). Negative image.
Size comparisons: Earth, the Moon, and Charon
Comparison between Pluto's Sputnik Planitia and Charon's informally named Vulcan Planitia
Charon's night side seen by New Horizons