New Dwarf Planets Found Beyond Pluto In Our Solar System!
Scientists have found new dwarf planets beyond Pluto in our solar system! Our solar system formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago as a result of the movement of a massive cloud of gas and dust. During this time, our solar system formed one massive star, a total of eight planets, five dwarf planets, more than two hundred moons, millions of large asteroids, and thousands of minor other objects. Neptune is the outermost planet in our solar system, and further out, we will see the dwarf planet Pluto. In general, we believe that Pluto marks the edge of our solar system, beyond which nothing but small, icy things and comets exist. But this is not the case. Beyond Pluto, the Kuiper belt contains other massive dwarf planets and minor planets, the most notable of which are Sedna, Eris, Haumea, Gonggong, and Makemake. These dwarf planets and minor planets are exceedingly unusual and have startled scientists. In this article, you will learn about amazing and strange dwarf planets found beyond Pluto, which was first considered the ninth planet of our solar system.
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What is The Kuiper belt?
There is an invisible region beyond Neptune, the planet at the far end of our solar system. We have almost no information about it. The Kuiper Belt is the region beyond Neptune that contains millions of frozen bodies, comets, and several massive dwarf planets and minor planets. It is believed that the Kuiper belt was formed from the material left after the formation of our solar system about 4.5 billion years ago.
No big planet could be produced from these frozen bodies and comets due to the gravitational influence of Neptune and other planets. Some of these evolved into enormous dwarf planets and minor planets, while others, such as frozen bodies and comets, began to revolve around our sun. However, due to the gravitational attraction of other big planets at the time of the solar system's creation, most of the objects found in the Kuiper belt either settled in the farthest region of our solar system—the Oort cloud—or left our solar system forever. The objects present in the Kuiper belt are known as Kuiper belt objects or trans-Neptunian objects. The Kuiper Belt is considered to be one of the largest structures in our solar system and is spread over an area of several billion kilometers.
The Kuiper belt is mainly divided into two parts, the first of which is its inner edge, which starts from the orbit of the planet Neptune. Its inner edge extends from 30 AU to 50 AU. Its outer edge, which is also called a scattered disk, is spread over an area ranging from 50 AU to 1000 AU.
In general, the Kuiper belt is best known for Pluto, which was formerly our solar system's ninth planet. However, massive solar bodies such as Eris, Haumea, Keke, Sedna, and Ganggong can be found beyond Pluto in the Kuiper belt. These weird and interesting items have startled scientists since their discovery, which we will explain further. Friends, we will begin our unique and unseen adventure on the minor planet Pluto, which is located on the outskirts of our solar system. Pluto is the largest and brightest trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper Belt, which is located approximately 39 AU from our sun. One revolution around our sun takes Pluto 248 Earth years.
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Haumea
If we go a little further from Pluto, we will see a dwarf planet named Haumea, which is present at a distance of about 43 AU from our sun. This distance is so great that sunlight takes about 6 hours to reach this dwarf planet. Haumea is the third-largest object present in the Kuiper Belt, whose radius is about 620 kilometers. Unlike other solar bodies, the shape of this dwarf planet is not a sphere but an oval.
But the most surprising thing is that this is the only object present in the Kuiper Belt that has its own ring system. There are two known moons of this trans-Neptunian object. It is the fastest-revolving planet in our solar system, rotating on its axis in four hours.
One round around our sun takes approximately 285 Earth years. Because of these qualities, it is regarded as the most unusual dwarf planet in our solar system, having astounded astronomers since its discovery. When it comes to its structure and the atmosphere, scientists assume that Haumea's interior structure is formed of rock covered in massive ice.
Makemake
Makemake, which is present at a distance of about 45.8 AU from our sun. Because of the vast distance, sunlight took 6 hours and 20 minutes on average to reach this dwarf planet. Makemake is the fourth-biggest object in the Kuiper belt, with a radius of around 715 km. After Pluto, Makemake is regarded as the second-brightest planet in our Kuiper belt. One orbit around its axis takes roughly 22 hours, and one revolution around our sun takes around 305 earth years.
Makemake has an unverified moon that has yet to be properly proven. In terms of environmental and structural characteristics, its surface is predominantly reddish and brownish. On its surface, scientists discovered frozen methane, ethane, and nitrogen ice. Know about weird things found in space!
To reach the next dwarf planet, we will have to enter the outer edge of the Kuiper belt, which is known as the Scattered Disk. The scattered disk extends from 50 AU to about 1000 AU, where dwarf planets and minor planets like Sedna, Eris, and Gonggong are present.
Gonggong
If we travel a long distance from Makemake, we will see a minor planet named Gonggong, which is present at a distance of about 67.5 AU from our sun. Because of the enormous distance, even sunlight takes around 9 hours to reach this tiny planet. It is the sixth-largest object in our Kuiper belt, with a radius of around 615 kilometers. One revolution on its axis takes around 22 hours, but one revolution around our sun takes approximately 554 earth years. This minor planet was found in 2007, but it was named after the Chinese aquatic god in 2019. So far, astronomers have discovered only one recognized moon in Gonggong's orbit.
If we talk about its atmosphere and surface, then scientists believe that the color of its surface may be red due to the compound called tholins present in it. According to some scientists, a thin, methane-rich atmosphere may also be present here.
.jpg "New Dwarf Planets Found Beyond Pluto In Our Solar System!")
Eris
After traveling some distance from Gonggong, we will see Eris, the last dwarf planet of our solar system, which is present at a distance of about 68 AU from our sun. Because of the ample distance, sunlight takes a total of over nine hours to reach this dwarf planet. It has a radius of around 1163 kilometers and is the second-biggest object in the Kuiper Belt after Pluto. It takes approximately 26 hours for the Earth to rotate on its axis and 557 Earth years for the planet to make one revolution around our sun. It was first discovered in 2005 and verified the following year. This dwarf planet has only one verified moon. Do you know about black holes?
If we talk about its surface and atmosphere, then scientists believe that its surface can be rocky and icy to a great extent, like the surface of Pluto. Due to its presence far away from the sun, the possibility of it having any atmosphere is very low. Because of its extremely low temperature, most of its atmosphere freezes and collapses.
Sedna
After traveling a long distance from our last dwarf planet, Eris, we will see Sedna, one of the most distant objects from our sun. It revolves around our Sun in a very strange elliptic orbit, due to which at its nearest position it goes 76 AU from our Sun, and at its farthest position it goes away from our Sun by about 480 AU, which is quite a lot. is more It takes a little over ten hours for the planet to complete one round in its orbit, but one rotation around our sun takes 10500 years. As a result, it is thought to be one of the most distant minor planets identified in our solar system. This small planet is so far away from our sun that some astronomers believe it is a member of the Oort cloud. It has a radius of around 500 km and is the sixth-biggest object in the Kuiper Belt.
If we talk about its surface and environment, then according to scientists, its surface is made of methane, nitrogen, and water ice, which appears red. Its surface temperature goes up to minus 240 degrees Celsius; hence, the possibility of having any active atmosphere here is very low.
Summary and FAQ
I hope you have learned a lot from this article. We have discussed newly found dwarf planets and their unique characteristics. You have learned the importance of the Kuiper Belt in our solar system. These planets are so far from the sun, and it takes a long time to complete one round around the sun. Sunlight takes hours to reach these planets. Scientists are continuously working to identify more planets with unique characteristics. We will update you on new discoveries and space missions. Comment on what you liked the most in this article, and allow us to send you notifications about our new posts. Here are some questions that could arise in your mind:
What planet is beyond Pluto?
Scientists have named that planet Planet X, as it is undiscovered yet. Scientists predicted that it could be a Neptune-sized planet that orbits the sun like other planets.
What dwarf planet is bigger than Pluto?
The Eris dwarf planet is bigger than Pluto.
Has planet 9 been found?
No, Planet 9, which follows all the rules of a proper planet like Earth, is undiscovered and unnamed yet.
Did NASA declare Pluto a planet again?
No, NASA didn't declare Pluto a planet again after they removed it from the list of planets in our solar system.
What is the coldest planet?
Uranus is the coldest planet in our Solar System.
What is the oldest planet?
Jupiter is the oldest planet. It formed around 3 million years after the birth of our solar system.
