| Pluto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Description | |
| Adjectives: | Plutonian |
| Distance from Sun: | 5.9 billion km |
| Diameter: | 2,377 km |
| Radius: | 1,188 km |
| Temperature: | 53 K |
| Known Moons | 5 |
Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond Neptune. It was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 and was originally considered to be the ninth planet from the Sun.
Surface[]
Pluto's surface is characterized by mountains, valleys, plains, and craters. The temperature on Pluto can be as cold as -375 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit (-226 to -240 degrees Celsius).
Pluto's mountains can be as tall as 6,500 to 9,800 feet (2 to 3 kilometers) and are big blocks of water ice, sometimes with a coating of frozen gases like methane. And long troughs and valleys as long as 370 miles (600 kilometers) add to the interesting features of this faraway dwarf planet.
Craters as large as 162 miles (260 kilometers) in diameter dot some of the landscape on Pluto, with some showing signs of erosion and filling. This suggests tectonic forces are slowly resurfacing Pluto.
The most prominent plains observed on Pluto appear to be made of frozen nitrogen gas and show no craters. These plains do show structures suggesting convection (blobs of material circulating up and down).
Atmosphere[]
The atmosphere of Pluto is the tenuous layer of gases surrounding Pluto. It consists mainly of nitrogen (N2), with minor amounts of methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO), all of which are vaporized from their ices on Pluto's surface.
Moons[]
Pluto has five moons down to a detection limit of about 1 km in diameter. In order of distance from Pluto, they are Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra.
| Ceres | Pluto | Haumea | Makemake | Eris |
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