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|semimajor=48,675 km
|semimajor=48,675 km
|eccentricity=0.002
|eccentricity=0.002
|sidereal=24.8562 da<ref name=team1>Buie, M. W., Grundy, W. M., Young, E. F., ''et al''. "[http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0512/0512491v2.pdf Orbits and photometry of Pluto's satellites: Charon, S/2005 P1, and S/2005 P2]." ''Astronomical Journal'' 132:290, submitted December 19, 2005.</ref>
|sidereal=24.8562 da<ref name=team1>Buie, M. W., Grundy, W. M., Young, E. F., ''et al''. "[https://arxiv.org/PS_cache/astro-ph/pdf/0512/0512491v2.pdf Orbits and photometry of Pluto's satellites: Charon, S/2005 P1, and S/2005 P2]." ''Astronomical Journal'' 132:290, submitted December 19, 2005.</ref>
|inclination=0.04°
|inclination=0.04°
|massmt=5
|massmt=5
|equatorradius =25 km
|equatorradius =25 km
|meantemp=44 K
|meantemp=44 K
|color=gray<ref name=color>Stern, S. A., Mutchler, M. J., Weaver, H. A., and Steffl, A. J. "[http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0605014 The Positions, Colors, and Photometric Variability of Pluto's Small Satellites from HST Observations 2005-2006]." ''Astronomical Journal'', submitted April 29, 2006. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
|color=#BF9799<ref name=color>Stern, S. A., Mutchler, M. J., Weaver, H. A., and Steffl, A. J. "[https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0605014 The Positions, Colors, and Photometric Variability of Pluto's Small Satellites from HST Observations 2005-2006]." ''Astronomical Journal'', submitted April 29, 2006. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
|albedo=0.04<ref name=color/><ref>An assumed value</ref>
|albedo=0.04<ref name=color/><ref>An assumed value</ref>
}}'''Nix''' is the second or middle [[moon]] of the [[dwarf planet]] [[Pluto]]. It was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope Pluto Companion Search Team in May of 2005.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html Pluto]." <http://www.nineplanets.org/> Accessed January 22, 2008.</ref><ref name=IAUdisc>"[http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/special/08625.pdf IAU Circular No. 8625]." [[International Astronomical Union]], October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=hubble>"[http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/19/ NASA's Hubble Reveals Possible New Moons Around Pluto]." News Release STScl-2005-19, ''Hubble Site'', October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
}}'''Nix''' is the second or middle [[moon]] of the [[dwarf planet]] [[Pluto]]. It was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope Pluto Companion Search Team in May 2005.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html Pluto]." <http://www.nineplanets.org/> Accessed January 22, 2008.</ref><ref name=IAUdisc>"[http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/special/08625.pdf IAU Circular No. 8625]." [[International Astronomical Union]], October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=hubble>"[http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/19/ NASA's Hubble Reveals Possible New Moons Around Pluto]." News Release STScl-2005-19, ''Hubble Site'', October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
== Discovery ==
== Discovery ==
== Physical characteristics ==
== Physical characteristics ==
The Hubble Space Telescope's instruments have not been able to resolve Nix sufficiently to measure its diameter. The diameter has a calculated range of between 46 km and 137 km, depending on the albedo—and current instruments cannot adequately resolve the albedo, either.<ref name=team2/> Nor has any instrument been able to resolve its sidereal day. Nix is somewhat less bright than is Hydra, and so might be smaller.<ref name=color/>
The Hubble Space Telescope's instruments have not been able to resolve Nix sufficiently to measure its diameter. The diameter has a calculated range of between 46 km and 137 km, depending on the albedo—and current instruments cannot adequately resolve the albedo, either.<ref name=team2/> Nor has any instrument been able to resolve its sidereal day. Nix is somewhat less bright than is Hydra, and so might be smaller.<ref name=color/>
The [[New Horizons]] space probe, launched in 2006, will visit Nix and its companions in February of 2015. This will represent the earliest opportunity to study Nix in detail.
The [[New Horizons]] space probe, launched in 2006, will visit Nix and its companions in February 2015. This will represent the earliest opportunity to study Nix in detail.
== Companion satellites ==
== Companion satellites ==
Nix has only two other companions, [[Charon]] and [[Hydra (moon)|Hydra]]. The Plutonian system is not likely to have any satellites any larger than about 16 kilometers across.<ref name=team2>Weaver, H. A., Stern, S. A., Mutchler, M. J., ''et al''. "[http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0601018 The Discovery of Two New Satellites of Pluto]." ''Nature'' 439(7079):943-945. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Steffl>Steffl, A. J., Mutchler, M. J., Weaver, H. A., ''et al''. "[http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511837 New Constraints on Additional Satellites of the Pluto System]." ''Astronomical Journal'' 132:614-619. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Britt>Britt, Robert Roy. "[http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051031_pluto_moons.html Two More Moons Discovered Orbiting Pluto]." ''Space.com'', October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
Nix has only two other companions, [[Charon]] and [[Hydra (moon)|Hydra]]. The Plutonian system is not likely to have any satellites any larger than about 16 kilometers across.<ref name=team2>Weaver, H. A., Stern, S. A., Mutchler, M. J., ''et al''. "[https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0601018 The Discovery of Two New Satellites of Pluto]." ''Nature'' 439(7079):943-945. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Steffl>Steffl, A. J., Mutchler, M. J., Weaver, H. A., ''et al''. "[https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511837 New Constraints on Additional Satellites of the Pluto System]." ''Astronomical Journal'' 132:614-619. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref><ref name=Britt>Britt, Robert Roy. "[http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051031_pluto_moons.html Two More Moons Discovered Orbiting Pluto]." ''Space.com'', October 31, 2005. Accessed April 17, 2008.</ref>
== Origin ==
== Origin ==