15 Interesting Facts About Pluto the Planet

Introduction

Although Pluto was demoted from its previous status as a planet of the Solar System in 2006, it continues to fascinate and excite astronomers around the world. The various peculiar attributes of this distant dwarf planet make it a subject of intense interest. From being the first trans-Neptune phenomenon to be discovered, to its fascinating moon system, to its highly eccentric orbit, there are lots of interesting facts about Pluto that you may not know.

Here are 15 interesting facts about our beloved Pluto the planet that suitably explain why Pluto is still an object of considerable interest despite its reclassification.

Fact 1: It was discovered in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.

This American astronomer used an advanced telescope to search for a ninth planet that could explain the mutual gravitational interaction of Neptune and Uranus. On February 18th, 1930 Clyde Tombaugh successfully discovered the distant planet which we now know as the dwarf planet Pluto. This discovery made him an immediate celebrity in the scientific community.

Fact 2: Pluto’s name was suggested by an 11-year-old girl.

This fact may come as a surprise to many, but it’s true. The name Pluto which suggests the god of the underworld in Roman mythology was the suggestion of Venetia Burney, an 11-year-old British girl. She suggested this name to her grandfather, an Oxford librarian, who then relayed it to the astronomy professor studying the newly discovered planet.

Fact 3: Pluto is less massive than seven of our Solar System’s moons.

Since its official reclassification in 2006, Pluto’s mass is no longer considered large enough to be classified as a planet in the Solar System. In fact, its mass is even less than that of the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — Ganymede, Titan, Oberon, Titania, Triton, and Proteus. This certainly makes Pluto one of the least massive bodies in the Solar System.

Fact 4: It is the only known trans-Neptune celestial body.

As of now, Pluto is the only celestial body located beyond Neptune that we know of. There are speculations that there may be more such bodies beyond the orbit of Pluto, now called “Plutoids”, in the Kuiper belt. But as of yet, there is no confirmed trans-Neptune planet.

Fact 5: Pluto is the second most-massive celestial body in the Kuiper belt.

The Kuiper belt is an area beyond that planets of the solar system. It is believed to be made up of various types of icy objects and minor planets that are beyond Neptune’s orbit. Of these bodies, Pluto is the second most-massive, followed by Eris, Makemake, Haumea, and some of their larger moons.

Fact 6: It is actually a dwarf planet and not a planet.

Pluto is officially classified as a dwarf planet and not a full-fledged planet as it doesn’t meet few of the definition criteria to be called as such. Some of the most prominent criteria is that to be called a planet, it must be able to “sweep” its orbit of debris and celestial bodies, which Pluto cannot do.

Fact 7: Its atmosphere only rises above the surface when it is closest to the Sun.

Pluto’s climate is incredibly fascinating. It is believed that an atmosphere is only present on Pluto when it’s closest to the Sun, while it is much colder when it is farthest from the Sun. The atmosphere consists of nitrogen, methane and some CO2.

Fact 8: Pluto is the coldest known planet in the Solar System.

Pluto is believed to be the coldest planet in the Solar System, barring Earth’s moons. It has an average temperature of -387°F, which puts it closer to absolute zero than any other known celestial body in our Solar System.

Fact 9: It was the first planet to be discovered in the 20th century.

Interestingly, together with Charon, it is also the first planetary companion of a dwarf planet to be identified. This was a major breakthrough discovery that took place almost exactly one century ago in 1930, when the presence of the ninth planet in our Solar System was discovered.

Fact 10: Its orbit takes 248 Earth years to complete.

The fascinating orbital path of Pluto has been a source of curiosity to astronomers and scientists alike. Plutonian year—the time it takes for Pluto to complete a single orbit around the sun—is 248 Earth years.

Fact 11: It is the farthest known planet in the Solar System.

Pluto is located in an area of the Solar System that is beyond the Kuiper belt, and is thus the farthest known planet in our Solar System. Moreover, it is also the only known celestial object in the Solar System which is located beyond Neptune’s orbit.

Fact 12: Pluto is smaller that the United States of America.

Pluto is surprisingly small for a former planet in the Solar System. It is smaller than the United States of America, and has even undergone erosion due to its orbit and extremities in temperature.

Fact 13: It has five moons.

Pluto has five known moons, namely Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra. Out of all these, Charon—the first designated moon—is surprisingly, almost equal in size to Pluto.

Fact 14: It is speculated that it may have a liquid ocean beneath its surface.

Scientists believe that it is possible that Pluto may contain a large ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface. This ocean may be insulated from any externally changing temperatures and be capable of forming temporary frozen lakes on the surface, however, it is still being debated and researched.

Fact 15: It has a highly eccentric and oval orbit around the sun.

Pluto and its orbit is highly eccentric and oval, making its journey around the sun slightly strange. It is at its closest to the sun (around 2.8 billion miles away) at a point called perihelion and moves slowly away from the sun, reaching its furthest position (about 3.6 billion miles away) at a point called aphelion.

Conclusion

The 15 facts mentioned above are only just scratching the surface when it comes to uncovering interesting facts about the distant dwarf planet Pluto. Despite being demoted from its former status as a full-fledged planet, Pluto is still an incredibly fascinating and mysterious part of the Solar System, and will no doubt unlock even more secrets when its full potential is discovered.