Here are 10 of the coolest, weirdest and most unexpected findings about the Pluto system scientists have learned thanks to the New Horizons spacecraft’s flyby of the distant world in 2015. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/new-horizons-flyby-10-cool-things-about-pluto…
Tag: dwarf planets
Life inside Pluto?
The dwarf planet’s hot birth may have created a warm internal ocean, and where there’s warm water, there might be life. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/life-inside-pluto-internal-ocean…
Could theorized Planet 9 be a primordial black hole? Researchers propose method to find out
There are eight classical planets in our solar system, from speedy Mercury to distant Neptune. There are also numerous dwarf planets, such as Pluto and Ceres. While we continue to find more dwarf planets, there are some hints that another large planet could lurk far beyond Neptune. This Planet Nine is thought to be a “super-Earth,” about five times the mass…
Moon and Regulus on March 7 and 8
Seen from around the world on the nights of March 7 and 8, the moon is moving through the constellation Leo the Lion, past the bright star Regulus, the Lion’s Heart. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-moving-toward-star-regulus…
NASA issues a Venus rover design challenge
NASA has issued a public challenge where you can help design a critical sensor that would be needed for a future rover on Venus. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/venus-aree-rover-sensor-public-challenge…
Is Hygiea now the smallest dwarf planet?
New images from ESO’s Very Large Telescope show that asteroid Hygiea is round, meaning that it may now be classified as the smallest-known dwarf planet in our solar system. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-hygiea-smallest-known-dwarf-planet-very-large-telescope-eso…
How did Pluto become a dwarf planet?
It’s been 13 years since astronomers announced Pluto would no longer be considered a major planet in our solar system. When it happened, in 2006, the decision caused a shock wave around the world. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/pluto-dwarf-planet-august-24-2006…
IAU approves 2nd round of names for Pluto features
New Horizons provided what will be the only close-up images of Pluto many of us will see in our lifetimes. The new feature names from the International Astronomical Union recognize the mission’s forerunners in Earth and space mythology and history. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/iau-approves-new-pluto-feature-names-2019…
A mountain on Ceres
This image, based on observations from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, shows the largest mountain on the dwarf planet Ceres. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/mountain-ceres-ahuna-mon-image…
Today in 2015: New Horizons at Pluto
The small, fast-moving New Horizons spacecraft is likely to be the only Pluto mission in the lifetimes of many of us. It changed forever the way we on Earth perceive this outermost world and its moons. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/july-4-2015-new-horizons-at-pluto…