Dwarf Planets

Dwarf Planets

Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun but do not meet all the criteria required to be classified as planets. Unlike planets, they lack the gravitational pull necessary to clear their orbits of other debris. The most well-known dwarf planet is Pluto, but others include Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and ...

Did you know that Pluto was once considered a planet but now is a dwarf planet? What exactly is a dwarf planet?

According to the International Astronomical Union or IAU, a dwarf planet must orbit a star like the Sun, have enough mass to be nearly spherical in shape, not have cleared smaller objects from the area around its orbit, and not ...