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Dwarf Planets

Dwarf Planets. Plutoids. Plutoids are icy dwarf planets similar to Pluto. They orbit in the Kuiper Belt and in composition resemble comets (ice and dust). (Although exactly what gas the ice is varies) They Include: Pluto Eris Makemake and Haumea

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Dwarf Planets

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  1. Dwarf Planets

  2. Plutoids Plutoids are icy dwarf planets similar to Pluto. They orbit in the Kuiper Belt and in composition resemble comets (ice and dust). (Although exactly what gas the ice is varies) They Include: Pluto Eris Makemake and Haumea Some such as Sedna, Quaoar, Orcus and Varuna await a further observation before determination

  3. Pluto and Charon Pluto was the first Kuiper Belt object to be discovered. Nitrogen is especially common on Pluto Its Radius at 1150 km is less than many moons It takes 248 years to orbit at an average 39 AU Its orbit is elongated, extending from about 30 AU to 50 AU (Crossing Neptune’s orbit) and tilts 17° from the plane of the Solar System It has an atmosphere of mostly nitrogen which freezes when Pluto reaches aphelion and vaporizes again as it approaches perihelion

  4. Pluto and Charon are a “binary planet” because: Charon has a radius (635km) more that half that of Pluto. They orbit each other and are tidally locked so that both always face the same side to each other Two true moons Nix and Hydra orbit the pair.

  5. Eris Eris, with a radius of 1200 km, is the largest of the Plutoids. It takes over 500 years to complete its 68 AU average orbit. Its orbit is even more eccentric than Pluto’s getting as close as 25 AU and out to 98AU, tilted 44°! It has one small Moon: Dysonomia

  6. At a radius of 950 km Makemake is the third largest plutoid. Debate raged over the status of Haumea Its elongated shape is the result of it fast spin. At a period of 4 hours, the fastest known So now it qualifies It has two small moons, Hi’iaka and Namaka Makemake And Haumea

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