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.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Pluto: The Dwarf Planet at the Edge of Our Solar System

Pluto, situated in the distant Kuiper belt, is a dwarf planet that challenges our understanding of the universe. It is one of the largest bodies in the Kuiper belt but 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 is over 3.6 billion miles away, resulting in extreme surface temperatures between -375°F and -400°F. Its geological composition includes a rocky and metallic core, an icy mantle, and a crust made of rock and various types of ice such as frozen carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen. Pluto's surface area is approximately 6.4 million square miles, similar in size to Russia, and features polar ice caps, valleys, plains, and craters. It also has glaciers made of frozen nitrogen and floating mountains of frozen water. Pluto's thin atmosphere, influenced by its low gravity, is composed of nitrogen, methane, and red hydrocarbon particles that give it blue skies. The dwarf planet has five moons, with Charon being the largest and about half the size of Pluto. Pluto was discovered in 1930 and was initially considered the ninth planet until 2006 when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet due to its inability to clear its orbit of debris.

Keywords

💡Pluto

Pluto is a dwarf planet located in the Kuiper belt, at the edge of our solar system. It was once considered the ninth planet but was reclassified in 2006 due to its inability to clear its orbit of debris. The video script discusses Pluto's size, orbit, and composition, highlighting its significance in our understanding of celestial bodies and the solar system.

💡Kuiper Belt

The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, containing numerous icy objects and dwarf planets. It is mentioned in the script as the location where Pluto resides, emphasizing the vastness and diversity of our solar system.

💡Dwarf Planet

A dwarf planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun, is not a moon, and has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape but has not cleared its orbit of other debris. The script explains that Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet due to its failure to meet this last criterion, illustrating the evolving definitions in astronomy.

💡Orbit

In the context of the video, orbit refers to the path a celestial body takes around the Sun. Pluto's orbit is highlighted as being highly elliptical and taking 248 Earth years to complete, which is a significant factor in its extreme temperatures and remote location.

💡Temperature

The script mentions that Pluto experiences extreme temperatures, ranging from negative 375 to negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit, due to its distance from the Sun. These temperatures are crucial for understanding the geological composition and the presence of ices on its surface.

💡Geological Composition

The geological composition of Pluto is discussed in the script, with its core likely made of rock and metals, a mantle of ice, and a crust of rock material and various types of ice. This composition shapes the planet's surface features and its overall structure.

💡Atmosphere

Pluto's atmosphere is described as thin and composed mainly of nitrogen and methane gases, with red hydrocarbon particles that scatter sunlight, giving it blue skies. The atmosphere's interaction with sunlight and its low gravity are key to understanding the planet's climate and weather patterns.

💡Moons

The script mentions that Pluto has five moons, with Charon being the largest and about half the size of Pluto. The presence of these moons contributes to Pluto's gravitational interactions and adds to the complexity of the dwarf planet's system.

💡International Astronomical Union (IAU)

The IAU is the organization that reclassified Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006. The script references the IAU's criteria for defining a planet, which includes the ability to clear its orbit of debris, a factor that led to Pluto's demotion.

💡Evolving Understanding

The video script concludes with the concept of our evolving understanding of the universe, suggesting that as we discover more about celestial bodies like Pluto, our definitions and classifications change. This reflects the ongoing nature of scientific exploration and learning.

Highlights

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

Pluto is considered a dwarf planet and is one of the largest bodies in the Kuiper belt.

The dwarf planet is about half as wide as the contiguous United States.

Pluto's size is two thirds that of Earth's moon.

It takes 248 Earth years for Pluto to complete an orbit around the Sun.

Pluto orbits the Sun at an average distance of over 3.6 billion miles.

Temperatures on Pluto's surface range between negative 375 and negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pluto's core is likely made of rock and metals, surrounded by an icy mantle.

The crust of Pluto is composed of rock material and various types of ice.

Pluto's surface area is approximately 6.4 million square miles, similar in size to Russia.

The terrain of Pluto includes polar ice caps, valleys, plains, and craters.

Pluto has glaciers made of frozen nitrogen and floating mountains of frozen water.

Pluto's thin atmosphere is influenced by its low gravity, which is only about 6 percent as strong as Earth's.

The atmosphere of Pluto is made up of nitrogen, methane, and red hydrocarbon particles.

Pluto's atmosphere scatters sunlight, giving it blue skies, and parts may freeze and fall like snow.

Pluto has five moons, with Charon being the largest and about half the size of Pluto.

The other moons of Pluto are Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx, which are much smaller.

Pluto was discovered in 1930, named after the Roman god of the underworld.

In 2006, Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet due to its inability to clear its orbit of debris.

Pluto's story reflects our evolving understanding of the universe and the continuous discovery of new celestial bodies.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] At the edge of the solar system

Pluto pushes the boundaries of our understanding

of the universe.

Nestled within the far flung Kuiper belt

the dwarf planet is believed to be one of the countless

celestial objects left over from the formation

of the solar system.

While it is one of the Kuiper belts largest bodies,

Pluto is only half as wide as the contiguous United States

and about two thirds the size of Earth's moon.

Making it easily dwarfed by the solar system's

eight true planets.

This tiny world takes 248 earth years to orbit the Sun

and it does so from an average distance

of over 3.6 billion miles

or 40 times the space between Earth and the Sun.

Such a distance from the solar system's main source of heat

causes extreme temperatures on the dwarf planet's surface

between negative 375 and negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The frigid temperatures play a crucial role

in shaping the geological composition of Pluto.

It's core, likely made of rock and metals,

is encapsulated by a mantle made of ice.

The dwarf planet's crust is made of rock material

and other types of ice such as

frozen carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen.

These frozen gases cover Pluto's

approximately 6.4 million square miles of surface area.

Which is barely the size of Russia.

The icy terrain is much like Earth's.

With polar ice caps, valleys, planes and craters.

It even has glaciers made of frozen nitrogen

and frozen water on the surface

makes giant floating mountains.

(peaceful music)

Such varied terrain is influenced by the presence

of weather patterns or an atmosphere.

Pluto's atmosphere is thin and reaches a high altitude

due to the dwarf planet's low gravity.

Which is only about 6 percent as strong as Earth's.

The atmosphere's comprised of nitrogen and methane gases

plus red hydrocarbon particles that scatter sunlight

to give Pluto blue skies.

Parts of the atmosphere may even freeze and fall like snow.

Floating high above the dwarf planet's atmosphere

are five moons.

The largest, Charon is about half the size of Pluto.

The four other moons;

Nix, Hydra, Kerberos and Styx, are much smaller.

While the eight true planets were discovered

by the mid-1800s.

Pluto was not spotted until 1930.

Pluto, named after the Roman god of the underworld,

was considered the ninth planet.

But in 2006, Pluto lost this status.

At the time, worlds similar to Pluto were being discovered,

deeper in the Kuiper belt.

This initiated close scrutiny of Pluto

and the definition of a planet.

The International Astronomical Union evaluated Pluto

based on the characteristics necessary to be a true planet.

It must orbit the Sun.

Is not a moon and has enough mass and gravitational pull

to assume a round shape.

However it was the fourth characteristic

that compromised Pluto's status.

It's inability to clear it's orbit of debris.

So Pluto was reclassified and arguably demoted

from being a true planet to being a dwarf planet.

Pluto's story represents our evolving understanding

of the universe.

There is always more to discover

and we are continuously reaching toward it.