Dwarf planet

What is a Dwarf Planet?

A dwarf planet is a special kind of space object. It goes around the Sun and is big enough to be pulled into a round shape by its own gravity. But, it is not big enough to push other objects out of its path like the eight main planets in our Solar System.

The most famous dwarf planet is Pluto. For many years, Pluto was called a planet. But in 2006, scientists made a new group called "dwarf planet" for objects like Pluto.

Fun Facts About Dwarf Planets

Dwarf planets can still be very interesting! In 2015, space missions went to two dwarf planets, Ceres and Pluto. They found that these worlds can change and have active geology. This makes them exciting to study.

Right now, scientists think there are at least nine objects big enough to be dwarf planets. Here they are, from biggest to smallest:

• Pluto
• Eris
• Haumea
• Makemake
• Gonggong
• Quaoar
• Sedna
• Ceres
• Orcus

Some of these dwarf planets have moons, which helps scientists learn about their sizes and what they are made of. Only Sedna has not been visited by a spacecraft and does not have any known moons, so it is harder to study.

Where Do Dwarf Planets Live?

Dwarf planets live in different places in our Solar System. Some, like Ceres, live in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Others, like Pluto, Eris, and Haumea, live in a faraway place called the Kuiper Belt.

In 2001, scientists found Ceres, a small object between Mars and Jupiter. For many years, these objects were called planets. But as more were found, they were called asteroids instead.

When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was called the ninth planet. In the 1990s, scientists found many similar objects in a region called the Kuiper belt. This showed that Pluto was part of a larger group.

In 2006, scientists made a new group called "dwarf planet." This group includes objects like Pluto, Ceres, and Eris. These objects are round but share space with other objects. This changed how we think about planets in our solar system.