Is Pluto the largest dwarf planet? No! Currently, the largest known dwarf planet is (136199) Eris [ http://en.wikipedia…], renamed last week from 2003 UB313 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Eris is just slightly larger than Pluto, but orbits as far as twice Pluto [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]'s distance from the Sun. Eris is shown above [ http://www.keckobse…] in an image taken by a 10-meter Keck Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] from Hawaii [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], USA [ https://www.cia.gov…]. Like Pluto, Eris has a moon, which has been officially named [ http://cfa-www.harv…] by the International Astronomical Union [ http://www.iau.org/] as (136199) Eris I (Dysnomia). Dysnomia [ http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Dysnomia_(m oon) ] is visible above just to the right of Eris. Dwarf planets [ http://en.wikipedia…] Pluto and Eris are trans-Neptunian objects [ http://www.planetar…] that orbit in the Kuiper belt [ http://www.ifa.hawa…] of objects past Neptune. Eris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] was discovered in 2003, and is likely composed of frozen water-ice and methane [ http://en.wikipedia…]. Since Pluto's recent demotion by the IAU [ http://en.wikipedia…] from planet to dwarf planet status, Pluto [ http://voyagesolars…] has recently also been given a new numeric designation: (134340) Pluto. Currently, the only other officially designated "dwarf planet" is (1) Ceres [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Explanation
Is Pluto the largest dwarf planet? No! Currently, the largest known dwarf planet is (136199) Eris [ http://en.wikipedia…], renamed last week from 2003 UB313 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Eris is just slightly larger than Pluto, but orbits as far as twice Pluto [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]'s distance from the Sun. Eris is shown above [ http://www.keckobse…] in an image taken by a 10-meter Keck Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] from Hawaii [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], USA [ https://www.cia.gov…]. Like Pluto, Eris has a moon, which has been officially named [ http://cfa-www.harv…] by the International Astronomical Union [ http://www.iau.org/] as (136199) Eris I (Dysnomia). Dysnomia [ http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Dysnomia_(m oon) ] is visible above just to the right of Eris. Dwarf planets [ http://en.wikipedia…] Pluto and Eris are trans-Neptunian objects [ http://www.planetar…] that orbit in the Kuiper belt [ http://www.ifa.hawa…] of objects past Neptune. Eris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] was discovered in 2003, and is likely composed of frozen water-ice and methane [ http://en.wikipedia…]. Since Pluto's recent demotion by the IAU [ http://en.wikipedia…] from planet to dwarf planet status, Pluto [ http://voyagesolars…] has recently also been given a new numeric designation: (134340) Pluto. Currently, the only other officially designated "dwarf planet" is (1) Ceres [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…].
Explanation
Credit and Copyright:
//www.keckobservator y.org/copyright.php" >Copyright: W. M. Keck Observatory [ http://www.keckobse…]
Credit_and_Copyright
//www.keckobservator y.org/copyright.php" >Copyright: W. M. Keck Observatory [ http://www.keckobse…]
