If you were born in the 90s, you’ll remember learning about the nine planets in the Solar System and having to remember all of their names using acrostics. But look, grandma lost her neck in 2006. Today it has been reclassified by the International Astronomical Union (UAI). Pluto Ceres is considered a dwarf planet along with Makemake and Eris. solar system. learn more about it asteroid.

It was discovered in 1930 by the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto It is named after the Roman god of the underworld. And indeed, it is practically in the underworld of our solar system. Located in the Kuiper Belt, asteroid It has a surface temperature of about -204°C and can get colder depending on how far it is from the Sun during its orbit.

And speaking of orbit, Pluto It shares its path around the Sun with Charon, a celestial body about half the size, and four other moons: Cerberus, Styx, Nyx, and Hydra. And unlike most planets whose orbits lie in the same plane as the Sun, the Pluto-Charon system has an oblique orbit. There are other planets whose orbits are slightly off the translational plane, but Pluto definitely out of line.

Pluto's orbit is quite inclined compared to the others.

But why dwarf planet? According to the IAU, for a celestial body to be considered a planet it must meet three main criteria: it must orbit a star, have enough mass to reach the hydrostatic equilibrium that gives the object a rounded shape, and be dominant in it. it moves in orbit and cannot be blocked by other objects that can change its translational motion. Because of the third criterion, Pluto has been reclassified.

Charon has a big influence on you Plutoand some astronomers view the Pluto-Charon relationship as a binary system of dwarf planets, but this has yet to be determined.

New Horizons and Pluto visit

In 2006, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) New Horizons Mission launched an unmanned spacecraft into the Kuiper Belt to map it geologically and morphologically. Pluto and their moons. It took nine years for the spacecraft to reach its destination, and in 2015 it was possible to obtain images of the spacecraft for the first time. dwarf planet and its satellites! A true milestone in the history of astronomy.

Thanks to this task, in addition to great photos, we know in more detail how it happened. asteroid It’s very strange, and we’ve debunked a few myths about it.

Contrary to popular belief, asteroid this is not just a soft ice ball. Pluto It has a “heart”, mountains and valleys. The dwarf planet’s activity is maintained by a millions of square kilometers of nitrogen glacier, which under the influence of Charon causes its axis of rotation to gradually change. The so-called left ventricle of this heart that caused the alignment was called Sputnik Planitia.

The New Horizons flyby also made possible other discoveries, such as the possibility of liquid water below the surface that would tectonically active the planet. Signs of volcanic activity only Plutoalso at Charon, among various other observations that are fundamental to our better understanding of these very distant objects.

A brand new horizon became concrete with the mission images. Pluto not just a little ball forgotten at the end of our system. This is a new world full of possibilities and beauty. It is a very rich field for research and new discoveries that will shed light on how planets are formed and their activities. As New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stem of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado said, “It’s clear to me that the solar system is saving the best for the best!”

Source: Tec Mundo

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I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.

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