10 Questions
What caused Pluto's change in classification?
The discovery of Eris
How does Eris compare to Pluto in terms of size?
Eris is initially thought to be larger than Pluto
Why was there confusion around how to classify Eris?
Its distance from the Sun made classification difficult
What decision did the IUA make regarding Eris and Pluto in 2006?
Identified Eris as a dwarf planet and changed Pluto's classification to a planet
Which moon orbits Eris?
Dysnomia
What is the radius of Eris?
$722$ miles $(1,163$ km$)$
How often does Eris orbit the Sun?
$557$ Earth years
What makes Eris the most massive of all known dwarf planets?
$16,600,000,000,000,000,000,000$ km mass
What very little is known about regarding Eris?
Its atmosphere
Which prediction do scientists make about dwarf planets in the solar system?
$100$ additional dwarf planets will likely be classified
Learn about the unique characteristics of Pluto, including its long orbit around the Sun, slow rotation, icy surface, thin atmosphere of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide, and its moons.
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