Pluto’s Tiny Moon Has a “Super Canyon” That’s Five Times Deeper Than The Grand Canyon

Charon, Image by NASA

Argo Chasma, is estimated to be 430 miles long and 5.5 miles in depth--a staggering size when compared to Earth's very own Grand Canyon.

One of the more majestic places to visit here on our humble planet is the Grand Canyon. At 450 km (280 miles) across and a 1.6 km (1 mile) in depth, it stands as one of the United States’ most visited tourist attractions.

But now, thanks to scientists at NASA, it just may have some competition. Enter Pluto’s moon, Charon, with it’s “Super Grand Canyon.” The canyon is estimated to be 692 km (430 miles) long and 8.9 km (5.5 miles) deep, making the Grand Canyon seem a little less grand than it is. The canyon is informally referred to as

“Argo Chasma.”

Charon, Image by NASA

f course, the Grand Canyon is much more accessible to us Earthlings. Argo Chasma is 7.5 billion km (4.67 billion miles) away.

Until warp drives show up into our garages, I think we can stick with what what we’ve got.

This canyon is another example of scientists discovering more about our solar system’s tiniest planet. From floating hills of nitrogen to liquid oceans, Pluto can now add a spectacular canyon to its unique list of attributes.