Pluto
Outer World of the Solar System

Feb. 5, 2005, jeb



Discovery of Pluto in 1930



Basic Properties of Pluto




Planet order from Sun
Orbital period
Semi-major axis
Mass
Radius
Density
Rotation Period
Known Moons

Pluto
9
248 years
39.5 AU
0.002 x Earth's mass
0.2 x Earth's radius
2060 kg/m3
-6.4 days
1




Hubble Space Telescope Images of Pluto

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Orbital Properties

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Pluto's moon, Charon

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Pluto's other properties

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Pluto's origin

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Future Exploration of Pluto

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Golden Globe Awards for
Pluto

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  • Largest orbital eccentricity (0.25) of any planet in the Solar System

  • Largest orbital inclination (17o) of any planet in the Solar System

  • Greatest distance from the Sun of any known planet in the Solar System

  • Longest orbital period (249 years) of any planet in the Solar System

  • Lowest surface gravity and escape velocity of any planet in the Solar System

  • Lowest surface temperature (about 50K) of any planet in the Solar System

  • Most closely matched planet-moon system in the Solar System ("Double Planet")


Other Sources on Pluto

StarDate Guide to Pluto
Welcome to the Planets - Pluto
Views of the Solar System - Pluto
The Nine Planets - Pluto


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