* Your assessment is very important for improving the work of artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download What is Pluto?
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems wikipedia , lookup
Circumstellar habitable zone wikipedia , lookup
Geocentric model wikipedia , lookup
Corvus (constellation) wikipedia , lookup
Discovery of Neptune wikipedia , lookup
Rare Earth hypothesis wikipedia , lookup
Extraterrestrial life wikipedia , lookup
History of Solar System formation and evolution hypotheses wikipedia , lookup
Solar System wikipedia , lookup
Late Heavy Bombardment wikipedia , lookup
Formation and evolution of the Solar System wikipedia , lookup
Planet Nine wikipedia , lookup
Exoplanetology wikipedia , lookup
Naming of moons wikipedia , lookup
Planetary habitability wikipedia , lookup
Clyde Tombaugh wikipedia , lookup
Eris (dwarf planet) wikipedia , lookup
Astronomical naming conventions wikipedia , lookup
Timeline of astronomy wikipedia , lookup
Planets beyond Neptune wikipedia , lookup
Chapter 11: Part 1 Pluto and the Dwarf Planets Pluto: Ruler of the Underworld Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 by comparing one image of the sky taken one night with an image taken 6 nights later. The discovery of Charon Charon and Pluto HST discovers new moons! 2012 New Horizons visits Pluto July 2015 Pluto revealed! Pluto and Charon What is Pluto? • Strange object; located far out from the Sun with gas giants but small size and very elliptical and highly inclined orbit • Pluto is a mixture of ices and rocks • composition similar to satellites of giant planets • Could be captured Kuiper Belt Object (e.g. comet)? Pluto’s strange orbit Quaoar, Sedna, Earth, Moon, and Pluto size comparisons th 10 Planet??? IAU Definition A "planet" is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around a star, (b) has a nearly round shape (c) and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. 8 Planets ! Planets sweep up all the material along their orbit Pluto’s strange orbit Dwarf Planet Orbits are Strange Dwarf Planet Definition A “dwarf planet is” a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has a nearly round shape (c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a satellite 5+ Dwarf Planets !