Dwarf planets
If you are old enough, you may remember a time when we thought Pluto was a planet. In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted a standardized definition of what is and isn't a planet. Unfortunately Pluto no longer made the cut. However, the IAU also adopted a new term: "dwarf planet." A dwarf planet is a planet that orbits the sun, has enough mass for its gravity to form it into a nearly round shape, has not cleared other large objects from the region it crosses during its orbit, and is not a satellite of another object in space. Pluto fits this definition perfectly.
Jump to content:
Deep dives
From the Collection
Exhibitions
Learning Resources
Flights of Fancy Story Time: "Pluto’s Secret"
In this special author session, Margaret Weitekamp reads the book, Pluto’s Secret: An Icy World’s Tale of Discovery
cc-by-nc
My Path: "Don't Be Afraid of Who You Are." Hannah Wakeford, Astronomer
Dr. Hannah Wakeford is on the cutting edge researching and hunting for exoplanets. Many of these newly discovered planets are in the Goldilocks Zone where conditions may be right to support life.
Student
cc-by-nc
What’s New in Aerospace: Inside the First Epic Mission to Pluto (Alan Stern) or Chasing New Horizons
A conversation with New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern and astrobiologist David Grinspoon about their new book, Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto.
cc-by-nc
What’s New in Aerospace: New Horizons at Pluto
Alan Stern, principal investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission, shows the exciting images and science results yielded from the New Horizons mission as the spacecraft flew through the Pluto system
cc-by-nc
Flights of Fancy Story Time: Pluto’s Secret
In this special author session; Margaret Weitekamp reads the book; Pluto’s Secret: An Icy World’s Tale of Discovery
cc-by-nc
E.Z. Science: Exploring the X-ray Universe
By studying X–rays in deep space, we can learn about some of the most violent and extreme objects in the universe, such as black holes and the remains of stars that have exploded
cc-by-nc
Publications
Publication