Pluto’s moon Charon may have once spun once every 14 hours, and its ancient mountains still record how it slowed down

New research suggests Charon’s oldest landscapes preserve evidence of early despinning. Tectonic features in Oz Terra indicate a period of faster rotation for the moon. These structures resemble landforms created by crustal compression, which is consistent with despinning models. Scientists estimate Charon’s initial rotation period was approximately fourteen hours. This ancient process likely occurred before other major geological events reshaped its surface.