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Pluto is by far the most famous dwarf planet. Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, Pluto was long considered our solar system's ninth planet. But after other astronomers found similar intriguing worlds deeper in the distant Kuiper Belt – the IAU reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006. An image showing signs supporting dwarf planets.
- Overview
- Pluto
- Eris
- Ceres
- Haumea
- Makemake
There was much outrage and confusion in 2006 when Pluto lost its status as our solar system’s ninth planet. But we didn’t just lose a planet—we gained five dwarf planets! The term "dwarf planet" is defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as "a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gra...
First is Pluto, the former planet. Discovered in 1930, it was named for the Roman god of the underworld. Its largest moon, Charon, is almost its equal in size and the two are often considered a double system. Telescopes have not yet been able to get a clear view of this faraway world, but the spacecraft New Horizons is scheduled to arrive there in ...
Eris was the troublemaker that led to Pluto’s reclassification. It was discovered in 2005 and, because it is close in size to Pluto, briefly considered the solar system’s tenth planet. After its discovery, astronomers were forced to reconsider the definition of "planet" entirely. Eris was named after the Greek goddess Eris, who started the Trojan w...
Unlike the other dwarf planets, Ceres is also an asteroid. The largest known asteroid in the asteroid belt, in fact, and the first to have been discovered. It was found in 1801. The name Ceres comes from the Roman grain goddess who was the patron goddess of Sicily, and with it began the tradition of naming main-belt asteroids after female character...
Haumea was discovered in 2003 and became our fifth dwarf planet in 2008. Its shape and composition set it apart from other objects in the Kuiper belt, and it is one of the fastest rotating large objects in the solar system. Haumea is elongated in shape and is made up of a rocky interior covered by a thin icy crust. It was named for the Hawaiian god...
Makemake was the last of the dwarf planets to be discovered. Scientists found it shortly after Easter in 2005 and nicknamed it "Easterbunny." Its official name comes from the Rapa Nui fertility god. The Rapa Nui are the native people of Easter Island (you may know it from its giant stone statues), which brings the story full circle. Makemake has no...
- Alison Eldridge
Gonggong (2007) A dwarf planet is a small planetary-mass object that is in direct orbit around the Sun, massive enough to be gravitationally rounded, but insufficient to achieve orbital dominance like the eight classical planets of the Solar System. The prototypical dwarf planet is Pluto, which for decades was regarded as a planet before the ...
- Pluto. When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was called the ninth planet in our solar system, but its status as a fully fledged planet came into question in the 1990s.
- Eris. Located beyond the orbit of Neptune, Eris completes one trip around the Sun every 557 years. It is slightly smaller than Pluto but actually contains over 25% more matter.
- Ceres. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This dwarf planet alone contains about a third of all the matter found in the belt!
- Makemake. Makemake was discovered in 2005, just a few months after Eris was found, and by the same team of astronomers. It is located in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris beyond the orbit of Neptune – around 30 to 50 times farther from the Sun than Earth is.
Jan 31, 2023 · How Many Dwarf Planets Are There? How many dwarf planets there are depends on who you ask. Most astronomers accept 5 dwarf planets. 3 Dwarf Planets: Pluto, Eris, and Ceres most closely meet the criteria for dwarf planets. Some astronomers exclude Ceres because of its location and consider it a large asteroid, but not a dwarf planet.
Oct 28, 2017 · Astronomers estimate that there could be as many as 200 dwarf planets in the solar system and the Kuiper Belt. But the differences between planets and dwarf planets may not be obvious at first.
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Apr 19, 2023 · Let’s visit the Solar System’s five official dwarf planets, starting from the one closest to the Sun and journeying outward. Ceres Color global view of Ceres: Oxo and Haulani craters This approximately true-color image was taken at 4:13 on May 4, 2015, as Dawn was surveying Ceres in its "Rotation Characterization 3" orbit 13,642 kilometers above the surface.
