The Worlds of Dwarf Planets: A Exploration of Dwarf Planets

Dwarf planets have been in the news lately, as the most distant one from our sun, Eris, has been found to have a moon orbiting it. This got us thinking about all the other dwarf planets in our solar system and what we know about them. So far, there are five known dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. In this post, we will explore each of these worlds individually, looking at their unique features and what makes them special. 

What are Dwarf Planets?

Dwarf planets are small, rocky or icy worlds that orbit the Sun. Most of them are in the outer solar system. They include Pluto, which was once considered a planet.

There are four recognized dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea and Makemake. There may be others, but they have not been confirmed.

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt. It is about 975 kilometres (606 miles) across.

Pluto is about 2,370 kilometres (1,473 miles) across. It has an icy surface and a thin atmosphere. Pluto’s orbit takes it inside Neptune’s orbit for part of its journey around the Sun.

Haumea is 1,960 kilometres (1,217 miles) across. It has two moons and an elongated shape. Its surface is covered in ice.

Makemake is 1,430 kilometres (889 miles) across. It has a dark surface that reflects little light.

The different types of dwarf planets

There are four types of dwarf planets: plutoids, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), asteroids, and comet nuclei.

Plutoids are a type of dwarf planet that orbit beyond Neptune. The largest known plutoid is Pluto. Other examples of plutoids include Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are a type of dwarf planet that also orbit beyond Neptune. TNOs are distinguished from plutoids in that they have not been "massive enough to clear the neighbourhood around their orbits". Some examples of TNOs include Sedna, Quaoar, and Orcus.

Asteroids are a type of dwarf planet that orbit in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The largest known asteroid is Ceres. Other examples of asteroids include Vesta and Pallas.

Comet nuclei are a type of dwarf planet that orbit in the outer solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune. Comet nuclei are distinguished from other types of dwarf planets in that they are "icy bodies" that often have tails made up of gas and dust particles. Some examples of comet nuclei include Halley's Comet, Hale-Bopp, and Wild 2.

The most famous dwarf planet: Pluto

There are four dwarf planets in our solar system: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake. Of these, Pluto is the most famous. Discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto was initially classified as a planet. However, following the discovery of other objects similar in size and composition in the outer solar system (e.g. Eris), Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" in 2006.

Pluto is unique among the dwarf planets in several ways. It is the only dwarf planet to have a moon (Charon) that is larger than itself! Additionally, its orbit around the Sun is highly eccentric, meaning that it sometimes comes closer to the Sun than Neptune does. As a result of its unusual orbit, Pluto experiences extreme variations in temperature, from -229°C at perihelion to -223°C at aphelion.

Pluto also has an interesting atmosphere which contains methane and nitrogen ices. These ices sublimate (turn directly from solid to gas) when exposed to sunlight, leading to a thin atmosphere of methane and nitrogen gas. This atmosphere also contains haze layers which are thought to be created by ultraviolet light interacting with hydrocarbons in the atmosphere.

Despite its small size and distance from Earth, we have been able to learn quite a bit about Pluto thanks to several space missions. In 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft became the first ever to visit Pluto, providing

Makemake Dwarf Planets

Makemake is one of the newest dwarf planets to be discovered. It was found in 2005 by a team of astronomers using the world's most powerful telescopes. Makemake is about two-thirds the size of Pluto and orbits the Sun about 3 times farther out than Earth does. Like Pluto, Makemake does not have enough gravity to hold onto an atmosphere.

Makemake is thought to be made of rock and ice. Its surface is covered with methane ice, which gives it a reddish colour. Makemake is about as bright as an object in Earth's night sky. It can only be seen from Earth using powerful telescopes.

Astronomers are still learning about Makemake and its place in our solar system. They will continue to study this distant world using the world's most powerful telescopes.

Eris Dwarf Planets

The dwarf planet Eris was discovered in 2005, and it was initially estimated to be the largest of its kind. Today we know that's not true; Eris has a mass 27% larger than that of Pluto. However, its diameter is still approx 1,948km. Kepler found a star which was then called Eris. Further observation suggested it was the same size as Pluto, but with more gravity.

The orbit of Eris is extremely eccentric. Not only does it cross Pluto's orbit, but it also has a close encounter with Neptune's - although it is still roughly three times larger than Pluto's orbit. The journey takes 557 years to complete. 

How to contact yourself in a Parallel Universe 

Ceres Dwarf Planets

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and was once considered a planet. It is now classified as a dwarf planet. Ceres is spherical in shape and has a diameter of 940 kilometres. It is made up of rock and ice, and has a very thin atmosphere. Ceres is thought to have a rocky core and an icy mantle.

Ceres was first discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi.  In 2006, Ceres was officially classified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility. The surface of Ceres is heavily cratered, but there are also some smooth areas. These smooth areas are thought to be caused by volcanic activity or impact cratering.

There are currently two active missions to Ceres: NASA's Dawn spacecraft and ESA's Herschel space observatory. Dawn entered orbit around Ceres in 2015, becoming the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet. Herschel observed Ceres from space in 2014 and provided new insights into the composition of its surface.

Haumea Dwarf Planets

Haumea is a dwarf planet located beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt. It was discovered in 2004 by a team of astronomers led by Mike Brown and is named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth. Haumea is about 1150 km in diameter and has a very tenuous atmosphere of hydrogen sulphide.

Haumea is a dwarf planet located beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt. This world is notable for its extremely elongated shape, which is thought to be due to a giant impact early in its history. Haumea also has two moons, making it one of only two known dwarf planets with satellites (the other being Pluto).

Why study dwarf planets?

There are many reasons to study dwarf planets. They are some of the most interesting and enigmatic objects in our solar system, and they hold clues to the formation and evolution of our solar system as a whole. Additionally, they provide an opportunity to study planetary systems that are different from our own and can help us understand how common or rare Earth-like worlds might be. Finally, they offer a potential destination for future exploration, either by robotic probes or human astronauts.

The Make-or-Break Launch of India's Aditya – L1 Mission to the Sun

Conclusion

After reading this article, I hope you now have a better understanding of dwarf planets and why they are so intriguing to astronomers. Although they may not be as well-known as the gas giants or terrestrial worlds, these fascinating objects offer a great deal to our understanding of the solar system and the universe beyond. With new discoveries being made all the time, there is sure to be more excitement in store for these enigmatic worlds in the years to come. Thanks for joining me on this exploration of dwarf planets!

The secrets of Pyramid in Egypt