Throughout the universe there are more planets and stars than what we see in the solar system. Light years away there are other forms of life to a greater or lesser extent similar to ours. However, space is made up of more elements than just planets. There is a type of star that is called Tiny planets.
In this article we are going to tell you what a dwarf planet is and how it is different from a normal planet.
What are dwarf planets
Dwarf planets are, as their name suggests, planets smaller than the common ones. There are no concrete figures, but they are somewhere between the normal planets and the rest of the asteroids. This basic deduction is considered a common explanation but it is not the criterion by which a planet is classified as a dwarf planet.
To categorize an astro as a dwarf planet, the following requirements are needed:
- They have to be in orbit around the sun.
- The most al must be large enough so that gravity itself overcomes the force of the rigid body. That is, it has a spherical or hemispherical shape.
- It is not the satellite of another planet.
- When a star reaches a certain level of evolution it influences against the other stars. They can flow in different ways. First, it may have attracted all the stars around it. Second you can move them away from their orbit or spin them on it. In the case of dwarf planets this does not happen, and causes other stars to depend on them in the surroundings of their orbit.
Criteria of dwarf planets
Of the criteria we've mentioned, the only one that truly differentiates it from normal planets is the last. That is, normal-sized planets have a surface area large enough to be able to force the surrounding celestial bodies to change their trajectory. Either by moving closer to them, further away from them, or by causing them to orbit around them.
The big difference between a normal-sized planet and a dwarf planet is precisely this. A dwarf planet lacks the ability to change the trajectory of the surrounding stars. Curiously, those planets that are beyond the orbit of a dwarf planet are not capable of changing their trajectory. Neptuno se they know him as a plutoid.
Dwarf planets of the solar system
There are five dwarf planets in our solar system. Let's analyze their names and main characteristics:
- Ceres: it is a planet that was discovered in 1801 and is located between the orbits of Mars y Jupiter. At first, it was considered as a comet but in the end it was known that it was a dwarf planet. The mass is only one third of the total asteroid belt. Its diameter is about 950 × 932 kilometers. It is as if it were a planet the size of the distance that there is when crossing Spain vertically. This planet has water inside and the existence of it was discovered in 2014.
- PlutoAlthough Pluto has been as part of the normal size planets of the solar system, when the definition of a serious summer planet was changed, Pluto fell more into this category. It was discovered in 1930. It is located very close to the orbit of Neptune. It has a diameter of 2370 kilometers, equivalent to one sixth of the diameter of our planet. It also has a layer of icy water and a blue-colored atmosphere.
- Eris: This dwarf planet was discovered recently. Its diameter is less than that of Pluto. It is one of those that belongs to the group called Plutoid, since it is located behind the orbit of the planet Neptune. It enters the Kuiper belt.
- makemake: this planet was discovered in 2005 and it is another plutoid. It is one of the largest in the entire Kuiper belt. It is about half of Pluto.
- Haumea: it is also found in the Kuiper belt and is also considered a Plutoid. It was discovered in 2003. It has an elliptical shape.
Out of curiosity, it is estimated that there are about 200 potential dwarf planets in the Kuiper belt. That is, although there were numerous dwarf planets to be discovered within our solar system.
Potential dwarf planets
In addition to the dwarf planets we've seen, there is a group of planets called potential dwarf planets. These bodies are not categorized as dwarf planets but are under observation for possible future inclusion. In the Kuiper Belt alone, there are an estimated 200 possible candidates. Beyond the region of the solar system there may be nearly 10.000 candidates.
What many are thinking and reconsidering is the fact why Pluto was no longer considered a planet in 2006. The main reason for the departure of Pluto was that it did not meet the fourth requirement to be a planet. The fact that it cannot influence the rest of the stars that are around it does not make it a planet.
Many scientists initially disagreed with this decision. Even today, there is still debate about whether Pluto should be considered a planet again. Following the discoveries made by the New Horizons probe, Pluto is known to have five satellites and an atmosphere. This fact gives it the capacity to influence the trajectory of the stars around it, which is why it could be considered a planet.
As you can see, the classifications within the planets of the universe can be somewhat complex. I hope this information helps you learn more about dwarf planets and brings us a little closer to the reality of our universe. Do you think Pluto should be considered a planet again or remain a dwarf planet as it is currently considered?
