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Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt region of the Solar System. It is the second-largest known dwarf planet next to Eris, and was considered a full-fledged planet until 2006.
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Fast Facts
- Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
- Discovered on: February 18, 1930
- Was considered a planet for 76 years
- Downgraded to a dwarf planet on August 24, 2006
- Named after the Roman god of the underworld
- Radius: 1,151 kilometers (18% of Earth's)
- Circumference: 7,232 kilometers
- Surface area: 16.65 million square kilometers (3% of Earth's)
- Mass: 1.3x1022 kilograms
- Average distance from the Sun: 5.91 billion kilometers
- Three known moons in its orbitNASA-JPL: Pluto - Facts & Figures
- Tenth-largest known entity that orbits the Sun
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Demotion
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union altered the standards for what makes an object a planet. It established three criteria that the object must meet:- Must orbit the Sun
- Must generate significant enough gravity to force a roughly spherical shape
- Must have cleared other objects out of its immediate area in space
Pluto did not satisfy the third criterion, and was thus downgraded to a dwarf planet.NASA-JPL: Pluto - Overview
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The Mahalo Top 7
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NASA: Solar System Exploration: Pluto
solarsystem.nasa.gov -
The Planetary Society: Space Topics: Pluto and Charon
planetary.org -
Solar Views: Pluto
solarviews.com -
Nine Planets: Pluto
nineplanets.org -
Wikipedia: Pluto
en.wikipedia.org -
NASA: NSSDC Lunar and Planetary Science: Pluto
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov -
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Pluto
britannica.com
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NASA: Solar System Exploration: Pluto
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Pluto on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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RT @TonyVowles: #astrology of the Saturn/Pluto Square - "The Book of Changes" http://bit.ly/297kzP
@indigolife | November 09, 2009 04:49 PM -
@LeluBlesa grosso y que onda? vas a disney?? le pegas a todos los tipos difrazados de mi parte?? minimo a pluto http://bit.ly/3rFzlW
@facundinho | November 09, 2009 04:49 PM -
At 09-Nov-2009 14:24:00 UTC New Horizons was 2,518,580,846 km from Pluto. http://www.dmuller.net/newhorizons
@dmuller | November 09, 2009 04:47 PM -
Mailing List: Pluto, sette mesi, denutrito e maltrattato dai cacciatori cerca urge http://ff.im/bcnLR
@TartaPortal | November 09, 2009 04:35 PM -
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!
@ShahRukh27 | November 09, 2009 04:21 PM
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Pluto on Amazon | View All
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The Pluto Files - $23.95
<strong>The New York Times best-selling irrational love affair with Pluto, <p>In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from ...
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Woodstock Percussion DCB27 Pluto Chime, Bronze - $28.00
27" Length, Pluto Wind Chime, Anodized Aluminum Tubes With Bronze Finish, Ash Wood.
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Breakfast on Pluto - $14.94
Set in the 1970s amidst the british-irish conflicts this follows the journey of self-discovery of a young man who realizes at a young age that he is different. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/25/2008 Starring: Cillian Mur...
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Pluto Little Brother T-shirt, 6-12M - $28.00
Little Brother T-shirt from Pluto is the perfect gift from a new baby brother to a big sister or brother. Made from the softest washed cotton, finely ribbed, it has raised lettering and lap shoulder styling for easy dressing.
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Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 3 - $12.99
R to L (Japanese Style)In a distant future where sentient humanoid robots pass for human, someone or some thing is out to destroy the seven great robots of the world. Europol’s top detective Gesicht is assigned to investigate these myste...
Amazon
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Questions and Answers About Pluto | View All | Ask a Question
View All Pluto Questions (10) | Ask a QuestionIs Pluto an asteroid or comet that fell into orbit around the sun? (1 Answer)Pluto is considered to be an asteroid within the Kuiper belt itself more at http://istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Skuiper.htm read moreIs Pluto still considered a planet or not? (3 Answers)Pluto is not officially a planet according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as of last year. Why? For one, it's too small. I think there are a half-dozen larger ... read moreHow were Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto discovered by scientist? (1 Answer)In short: Uranus was discovered by sight, Neptune and Pluto by deductive reasoning. Let´s see it how all was done: http://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/william_herschel01.jpg William Herschel Uranus was legaly discovered in March 1781 ... read moreIs Pluto still a planet? Who decides - astronomers or politicians? Is Illinois on our planet? (2 Answers)This is the kind of thing they do in the Illinois Senate? Really? No wonder Obama voted "present" all those times - a meaningless vote on a meaningless question. As ... read more
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