12 interesting facts about Pluto and the 5 dwarf planets
It was stipulated that a dwarf planet had to be in orbit around a star, have enough mass to reach hydrostatic equilibrium and therefore have an almost spherical shape, not be a satellite of a planet or other non-stellar body, and have not cleared the vicinity
of its orbit, that is, sharing it with other objects.
In addition, the definition of the UAI stipulated that objects orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune they would receive the name of trasneptunian objects and if an object, in addition to meeting this characteristic, was a dwarf planet, it would also be called
as plutoid.
Thus, today, there are 5 dwarf planets in the solar system, which in order of their distance from the Sun are: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea,
Makemake and Eris.
Showing a wide range of compositions.
1. Former ninth planet:
Pluto, was discovered in 1930 and held the status of the ninth planet in our solar system for more than seven decades. However, in 2006 (three years after the discovery of Eris) it was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" due to its relatively small size and because its orbit intersects that of Neptune.
2. Full:
One of the most captivating features of Pluto is the Tombaugh Regio, known informally as the "Heart of Pluto" complex terrain with imposing mountains of ice (even possible cryovolcanoes that may have once erupted with a mixture of water, nitrogen and methane) vast plains and deep valleys. It also exhibits another geological feature called the Cthulhu Regio resembling the shape of a whale located at the equator.
3. The second great snowball:
Eris, is the largest known dwarf planet in our solar system, it has its own moon Dysnomia
4. Icy moons:
Pluto's other moons other than Charon (Styx, Nix, are believed to be Kerberos and Hydra) are composed mainly of ice and rock. Providing valuable information about the formation and evolution of the Pluto system.
5. Monroe:
Charon, Pluto's largest moon has a unique feature called "Mordor" this dark and reddish patch on its surface resembles the Eye of Sauron of the Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" movie.
6. The chosen one:
Of the five moons of Pluto, Charon is the largest and is so voluminous that it causes a gravitational dance with Pluto, causing both bodies to orbit around a common center of gravity.
7. The orange marble:
Pluto's surface exhibits a reddish hue, which scientists believe is due to complex organic compounds known as tholins. These tholins form as a result of chemical reactions between sunlight and methane or nitrogen in the atmosphere.
8. The Kuiper Belt:
Dwarf planets are primarily found in the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond the orbit of Neptune filled with icy remains from the formation of our solar system hosting a diverse population of objects, including Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea.
9. The red marble:
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The dwarf planet Makemake was discovered in 2005 by the Spitzer space telescope and was named name of the Rapanui god of fertility. It appears to be a reddish brown color, similar to |
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to that of Pluto having only one moon that of mo |
ment is called S/2015 |
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(136472) 1 aka MK2. |
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10. The chosen one:
Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter , is the only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system, therefore it could not be defined as a plutoid. It is a fascinating planet with a rocky core, an icy mantle and a tenuous atmosphere. Only dwarf planet without a satellite or moon.
11. The bright spots:
Ceres features intriguing bright spots in the crater Occator, these spots are deposits of sodium carbonate , indicating that liquid water could exist below the surface.
12. The rugby ball:
Haumea stands out for its elongated shape, which resembles a rugby ball thanks to the fact that it completes its rotation in no less than four hours of swimming! ! making it one of the fastest spinning objects in the solar system. It has two moons respectively Hiʻiaka and Namaka.