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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 !