JARED JOSHUA CANJA BSED 2 – SCIENCE

SOURCE: https://www.britannica.com/list/our-5-dwarf-planets
WRITTEN BY: Alison Eldridge
 There was much outrage and confusion in 2006 when Pluto lost its status as our
solar system’s ninth planet. But we didn’t just lose a planet—we gained five dwarf
planets! The term "dwarf planet" is defined by the International Astronomical Union
(IAU) as "a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass
for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic
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equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its
orbit, and (d) is not a satellite." There are hundreds of objects in our solar system that
have the potential to be classified as dwarf planets, but so far only five are official.
Read on to meet our (current) five.

PLUTO
First is Pluto, the former planet. Discovered in 1930, it was named for the Roman god
of the underworld. Its largest moon, Charon, is almost its equal in size and the two
are often considered a double system. Telescopes have not yet been able to get a
clear view of this faraway world, but the spacecraft New Horizons is scheduled to
arrive there in 2015. At about 5.9 billion km (3.7 billion miles or 39.5 astronomical
units) from the Sun, Pluto is so remote that the Sun’s light takes 5 hours to reach it.
It is so cold there that gases such as carbon monoxide exist in ice form.

ERIS
Eris was the troublemaker that led to Pluto’s reclassification. It was discovered in
2005 and, because it is close in size to Pluto, briefly considered the solar system’s
tenth planet. After its discovery, astronomers were forced to reconsider the definition
of "planet" entirely. Eris was named after the Greek goddess Eris, who started the
Trojan war by causing a fight among some of the other goddesses. Its discoverers
briefly nicknamed it "Xena" after the TV warrior princess. Its one known moon is
named Dysnomia, after Eris’s daughter, the goddess of lawlessness.
 CERES
Unlike the other dwarf planets, Ceres is also an asteroid. The largest known asteroid
in the asteroid belt, in fact, and the first to have been discovered. It was found in
1801. The name Ceres comes from the Roman grain goddess who was the patron
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goddess of Sicily, and with it began the tradition of naming main-belt asteroids after
female characters from Greco-Roman mythology. At about 2.77 astronomical units
(AU; about 414 million km [257 million miles]) from the Sun, it is by far the nearest of
the dwarf planets.

HAUMEA
Haumea was discovered in 2003 and became our fifth dwarf planet in 2008. Its
shape and composition set it apart from other objects in the Kuiper belt, and it is one
of the fastest rotating large objects in the solar system. Haumea is elongated in
shape and is made up of a rocky interior covered by a thin icy crust. It was named for
the Hawaiian goddess of birth and fertility. Its two moons, Hi‘iaka and Namaka, were
named after goddess Haumea’s daughters.

MAKEMAKE
Makemake was the last of the dwarf planets to be discovered. Scientists found it
shortly after Easter in 2005 and nicknamed it "Easterbunny." Its official name comes
from the Rapa Nui fertility god. The Rapa Nui are the native people of Easter Island
(you may know it from its giant stone statues), which brings the story full circle.
Makemake has no known moons. Its surface is thought to be composed of frozen
methane, ethane, and nitrogen. Although it is in many ways similar to Pluto, it
appears to have no significant atmosphere.