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Chapter 11: Part 1
Pluto and the Dwarf
Planets
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.
Pluto: Ruler of the Underworld
The discovery of Charon
Charon and Pluto
HST discovers new moons!2012
• 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)?
What is Pluto?
Pluto’s strange orbit
Quaoar, Sedna, Earth, Moon, and Pluto size comparisons
10th Planet???
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 !
IAU Definition
Planets sweep up all the material along their orbit
Pluto’s strange orbit
Dwarf Planet Orbits are Strange
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 !
Dwarf Planet Definition
New Horizons visits Pluto July 2015
Pluto revealed!
Pluto and Charon