3 April 2026
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Alice Quillen

News

Close encounters of a tidal kind could lead to cracks on icy moons

26 May 2016 Astronomy Now

A new model developed by University of Rochester researchers could offer an explanation as to how cracks on icy moons, such as Pluto’s Charon, formed. Until now, it was thought that the cracks were the result of geodynamical processes, such as plate tectonics, but computer simulations suggest that a close encounter with another body might have been the cause.

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News Headlines

  • Witness to history: Artemis II, lunar exploration and hope
    2 April 2026
  • Artificial Intelligence uncovers more than 100 new worlds in NASA data
    25 March 2026
  • XRISM solves gamma-Cas’s 50-year X-ray mystery
    24 March 2026
  • Molten lava world points to new class of planet
    16 March 2026
  • Dr Allan Chapman (1946-2026)
    26 January 2026

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