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Moon count, as of September 2026
How many moons does Pluto have?
5 known moons.
Pluto has 5 known moons as of September 2026, according to NASA and the JPL Solar System Dynamics group.
The named moons
Sorted by size. Distance is the average distance from the centre of Pluto.
| Moon | Diameter (miles / km) | Distance (miles / km) | One orbit | Discovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charon | 753 / 1,212 | 12,200 / 19,591 | 6.387 days | 1978, James Christy |
| Hydra | 31.7 / 51 | 40,200 / 64,738 | 38.2 days | 2005, Hubble |
| Nix | 31.1 / 50 | 30,300 / 48,694 | 24.85 days | 2005, Hubble |
| Kerberos | 11.8 / 19 | 35,900 / 57,783 | 32.17 days | 2011, Hubble |
| Styx | 9.9 / 16 | 26,500 / 42,656 | 20.16 days | 2012, Hubble |
Why the number keeps changing
Big moons were found centuries ago through telescopes. The small ones, often only a few kilometres across, are found today by long camera exposures on the largest telescopes and by spacecraft. Each new batch is announced by the Minor Planet Center, so the count goes up in jumps. That is why every count on this site carries a date.