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Minor Members of the Solar System

Minor Members of the Solar System. Dwarf Planets. According to IAU (International Astronomical Union), a "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that 1) is in orbit around the Sun, 2 ) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to assume a nearly round shape,

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Minor Members of the Solar System

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  1. Minor Members of the Solar System

  2. Dwarf Planets According to IAU (International Astronomical Union), a "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that 1) is in orbit around the Sun, 2) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to assume a nearly round shape, 3) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and 4)is not a satellite.

  3. A dwarf planet has been referred to by some astronomers as “something that looks like a planet, but is not a planet.” • There are five known dwarf planets – Ceres, Pluto, Makemake, Eris and Haumea. • Dwarf planets may also be called minor planets, subplanets or planetoids.

  4. Ceres • Discovered on January 1, 1801 • Considered as a planet for half a century before it was reclassified as an asteroid • Classified as a dwarf planet on September 13, 2006

  5. Pluto • Discovered on February 18, 1930 • Classified as a planet for 76 years • Classified as a dwarf planet on August 24, 2006

  6. Makemake • Discovered on March 31, 2005 • Classified as a dwarf planet on July 11, 2008

  7. Eris • Discovered on January 5, 2005 • The media once referred to it as the “tenth planet” • Accepted as a dwarf planet on September 13, 2006

  8. Haumea • Discovered on December 28, 2004 • Accepted as a dwarf planet on September 17, 2008

  9. Orbital Attributes of Dwarf Planets

  10. Physical Properties of Dwarf Planets

  11. Pluto • Second largest known dwarf planet in the solar system • Tenth largest body observed directly orbiting the sun • Largest member of a distinct region called Kuiper Belt • Composed of rock and ice • Relatively small, approximately one-fifth the mass of the Earth and one-third its volume • Highly eccentric and highly inclined orbit • Charon is classified as its moon • Has two known smaller moons, Nix and Hydra

  12. Asteroids • Pieces of irregularly shaped, solid bodies or rocks orbiting around the sun • All are moving counterclockwise around the sun, just as planets do • Vesta is the brightest asteroid but it cannot be seen by the naked eye • In the asteroid belt, they range in size from tiny particles to about 1000 km in diameter

  13. Asteroids • Ceres, the largest asteroid and first one to be discovered has a diameter of about 940 km • Some asteroids have orbits that cross the orbit of Mars • Trojan asteroids follow the same orbit as Jupiter • One group of Trojan asteroids travels ahead of Jupiter, while the other group trails behind

  14. Asteroids • Other asteroids are outside the orbit of Jupiter • Over 2000 asteroids measuring 1 km in diameter cross Earth’s orbit at times • Asteroid belt is an area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids exist • Asteroid belt may have been formed when a planet was pulled apart into fragments by gravitational force of Jupiter

  15. Asteroids • Some larger asteroids may have been ejected from the asteroid belt and are currently scattered in the solar system • Several asteroids have been named after Filipino scientists and educators, Kintanar, Edwelda, Badillo, Biyo and students who won in the Science and Engineering Fair, Estrella, Rara, and Macalintal

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