18 Dwarf Planets and Small Bodies

Asteroid Main Belt

The region in the Solar System between Mars and Jupiter where most minor bodies orbit the Sun.

Kuiper Belt

A disc-shaped region beyond Neptune's orbit that contains bits of rock, ice, comets, and dwarf planets.

Oort Cloud

A hypothetical spherical region of icy bodies surrounding the solar system, believed to be the source of long-period comets.

Dwarf Planet

A celestial body smaller than a planet but larger than a small solar system body, such as Pluto and Eris.

Lagrange Points

Points in space where gravitational forces balance between two orbiting bodies, allowing small objects to maintain stable locations.

Near-Earth Object (NEO)

Any small Solar System body whose orbit brings it close to Earth.

Centaur Objects

Small bodies similar to asteroids but with comet-like compositions, primarily found between Jupiter and Neptune.

Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO)

A celestial object that orbits the Sun at a greater average distance than Neptune.

Comet

A small Solar System body composed of ice, dust, and rock, that, when near the Sun, produces a bright coma and tail.

Coma (of a comet)

The nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet formed when it approaches the Sun.

Planetesimals

Small bodies from which a planet originated in the protoplanetary disk during the formation of the solar system.

Sputnik Planitia

A vast, flat, nitrogen ice plain on Pluto, characterized by its bright appearance and large expanse.

Eris

A dwarf planet in the scattered disc of the Solar System that is larger than Pluto and has one known moon called Dysnomia.

Dawn Mission

NASA's mission aimed at studying the dwarf planet Ceres and other bodies in the asteroid belt.

New Horizons

NASA's spacecraft that conducted a flyby of Pluto in 2015, capturing detailed images and data.

Asteroids

Rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system, varying widely in size.

Orbit

The elliptical pathway that celestial bodies, such as planets and comets, follow as they move around a star.

Comet Tail

A stream of gas and dust particles that is released from a comet as it approaches the Sun and warms up.

Nitrogen Ice Plains

Flat plains composed primarily of nitrogen ice, found on the surface of Pluto.

Outer Solar System

The region of the solar system that includes the Kuiper Belt, the Oort Cloud, and the orbits of the outer planets.

Jupiter,

The largest planet in the Solar System, known for its strong gravitational influence, which affects nearby celestial bodies.