Pluto: The Dwarf Planet

Pluto

A celestial body that was once considered the ninth planet in the solar system but is now classified as a dwarf planet. It appeared larger than it is due to the brightness of its satellite, Charon, and was initially thought to be the size of Earth. It was unable to clear its orbit of other objects due to lack of gravity.

Charon

The satellite of Pluto that is almost half the size of Pluto itself. Its brightness made Pluto appear larger than it actually is.

Dwarf planet

A new classification for celestial bodies, with Pluto being a prototype. These are celestial bodies that are not able to clear their orbit of other objects and are smaller than traditional planets.

Eris

A Kuiper Belt object that was discovered in 2005. It is estimated to be 10 percent bigger than Pluto.

Haumea

A celestial body that was discovered in 2003. It is one of the dwarf planets and is located in the Kuiper Belt.

Ceres

A dwarf planet located in the Asteroid Belt.

Makemake

A dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt.