Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

Flashcards covering key concepts related to Pluto, its moon Charon, the Kuiper Belt, and the classification of celestial bodies.

Pluto

A celestial body that was reclassified as a dwarf planet after being discovered due to irregularities in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune.

Charon

The largest moon of Pluto, with a diameter of 600 km, making it significant in size compared to Pluto.

Kuiper Belt

A region of the Solar System beyond Neptune, composed mainly of ice and containing many small celestial objects, including Pluto.

Dwarf Planet

A classification of celestial bodies that orbit the sun, are round, and cannot clear their orbital paths.

Plutoid

An icy dwarf planet that is located in the outer Solar System, specifically beyond Neptune.

Eris

A dwarf planet that is larger than Pluto.

Sedna

The furthest known celestial body in the Solar System, located at the inner edge of the Oort Cloud and having a 1,500 km diameter.

Hydra and Nix

Other moons of Pluto, aside from Charon.

Neptune

The eighth planet from the sun, whose orbit was used to help predict the existence of Pluto.

New Horizons

The spacecraft that flew by Pluto in 2015, capturing the first close-up images of its surface.