From: Larry Klaes (lklaes@bbn.com)
Date: Mon Aug 02 1999 - 14:38:57 MDT
Luna (a.k.a, Earth's Moon) is larger than Pluto,
at 3,476 kilometers in diameter, compared to just
2,274 kilometers for Pluto.
Pluto and its moon, Charon, have been considered
a double planet system, as they are closer in size
to (and distance from) each other than even the Earth-
Luna system, but they have also been considered the
largest members of the Trans-Neptunian worlds, comets
that roam mainly between Neptune and Pluto. Had Pluto
been discovered today, instead of in 1930 by Clyde W.
Tombaugh, it would have likely been considered the
largest known comet in the Sol system.
The latest accepted theory on lunar formation is that
during the early days of the creation of the Sol system,
roughly 4 billion years ago, a Mars-sized body hit the
still-molten Earth, causing a massive amount of debris
to be flung into space. Eventually the debris settled
into Earth orbit and merged into what we call Luna.
See these two Web pages for more information:
http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/luna.html
http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/pluto.html
Larry
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