Pluto 101 | National Geographic

Summary

Pluto, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, challenges our cosmic understanding. With a surface area akin to Russia and a diverse icy terrain, it boasts polar ice caps, valleys, and craters. Its thin atmosphere, composed of nitrogen, methane, and red hydrocarbons, gives it blue skies. Pluto's orbit, taking 248 Earth years, and its five moons, including the sizable Charon, add to its intrigue. Once the ninth planet, Pluto was reclassified in 2006 due to its inability to clear its orbit of debris, reflecting our evolving astronomical knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🌌 Pluto is located in the Kuiper belt, a region beyond Neptune, and is considered a dwarf planet.
• 🌍 Despite being one of the largest bodies in the Kuiper belt, Pluto is only half as wide as the contiguous United States and two-thirds the size of Earth's moon.
• 🌞 Pluto's orbit around the Sun takes 248 Earth years and it is, on average, over 3.6 billion miles away from the Sun.
• 🌡️ The dwarf planet experiences extreme cold temperatures, ranging from -375 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 🏔️ Pluto's geological composition includes a rocky and metallic core, an icy mantle, and a crust made of rock and various types of ice.
• 🌐 The surface of Pluto, which is about the size of Russia, features polar ice caps, valleys, plains, and craters.
• ❄️ Pluto has glaciers made of frozen nitrogen and has floating mountains composed of frozen water.
• 🌬️ The thin atmosphere of Pluto, composed mainly of nitrogen and methane, scatters sunlight and may even precipitate as snow.
• 🌕 Pluto has five moons, with Charon being the largest and about half the size of Pluto, while Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx are smaller.
• 📖 In 2006, Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union due to its inability to clear its orbit of debris.

Q & A

What is Pluto's position in relation to the solar system?

Pluto is located at the edge of the solar system, nestled within the Kuiper belt.

How does Pluto's size compare to Earth's moon and the contiguous United States?

Pluto is about two-thirds the size of Earth's moon and only half as wide as the contiguous United States.

What is the orbital period of Pluto around the Sun?

Pluto's orbital period around the Sun is 248 Earth years.

What is the average distance of Pluto from the Sun, and how does it affect its temperature?

The average distance of Pluto from the Sun is over 3.6 billion miles, which results in extreme temperatures on its surface between negative 375 and negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the composition of Pluto's core, mantle, and crust?

Pluto's core is likely made of rock and metals, encapsulated by a mantle of ice, and its crust is made of rock material along with other types of ice such as frozen carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen.

What is the surface area of Pluto, and how does it compare to a country on Earth?

Pluto's surface area is approximately 6.4 million square miles, which is barely the size of Russia.

What types of geological features does Pluto have?

Pluto has polar ice caps, valleys, plains, and craters. It also has glaciers made of frozen nitrogen and floating mountains made of frozen water.

How does Pluto's thin atmosphere affect its weather patterns and appearance?

Pluto's thin atmosphere, which is comprised of nitrogen and methane gases along with red hydrocarbon particles, influences its weather patterns and gives it blue skies due to the scattering of sunlight.

What are the names of Pluto's five moons, and how do they compare in size to Pluto?

Pluto has five moons named Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx. Charon is about half the size of Pluto, while the other four moons are much smaller.

Why was Pluto reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006?

Pluto was reclassified to a dwarf planet because it does not meet the fourth criterion of a true planet, which is the ability to clear its orbit of debris.

What does Pluto's reclassification signify about our understanding of the universe?

Pluto's reclassification signifies the evolving understanding of the universe, indicating that there is always more to discover and that our definitions and classifications are subject to change as new information is uncovered.