Is Pluto the only dwarf planet in our Solar System?
The term dwarf planet was adopted in 2006 and it's neither a planet nor a satellite. There are 5 dwarf planets that we know in the Solar System, so Pluto is not the only one! Other 4 dwarf planets exist: the smallest one is Ceres and it's closer to the Earth than Pluto. It was discovered at the very beginning of the 19th century, in 1801. Ceres is almost 3 times as far from the Sun as our planet! It circles the Sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.
Then, there are 3 more known dwarf planets: Eris, Haumea and Makemake. Pluto has a wandering orbit and some time it will be closer to the Sun than Neptune.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
17 Comments
Pat Anne Hughes Everett
This always causes debate and will be answered, one day!!!
Terry Osborn
All are incorrect. Our solar system is Twice more than the boundary of Pluto, which are still Uncharted and Yet to be discovered. I still call Pluto a Planet, yet it's smaller than our moon. But it's Alive, with an atmosphere.
Jim O'Toole
see Richard's answer = total is 4 5 or 6
Ross Shoemaker
Wow good interesting stuff, do we ask to substantiate this stuff?
Gery Tillmanns
agree. The question and answer match.
Gery Tillmanns
Fascinating.
Bill Coe
You need to "anchor date" this question. "As of 2016, was Pluto the only...?" There is already some discussion of an unnamed 6th and there are DOZENS more possilbe. The first five recognized dwarf planets are Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea. Scientists believe there may be dozens or even more than 100 dwarf planets awaiting discovery.
Albeck1994
But the answer given was 5 so at the time and by your own statement it's correct. It isn't now because there's six
Mark Johnson
What we have found and the actual number are two different things.
Carmine-James Pitaniello
Richard Kopacko http://phys.org/news/2016-10-dwarf-planet-solar.html
Carmine-James Pitaniello
Richard Kopacko This question may have been written before the last one was found. I usually takes mine two to three months to make it through review. the last one was found in October 2016.
Carmine-James Pitaniello
Amatuer astonomer.. five scopes.. I've seen Ceres and Pluto, but not the rest...scopes aren't big enough.
Kristi Stevens
If you feel it is wrong or written wrong, then report it.
kopackorl
There are 6 officially recognised dwarf planets in our solar system, they are Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, Eris and the unnamed V774104. With the exception of Ceres, which is located in the asteroid belt, the other dwarf planets are found in the outer solar system.
gowombat
Agree with Alice.. this question and answer are not correct.