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dwarf planet


n.

A celestial body that orbits the sun and is large enough to assume a nearly round shape, but that does not clear the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a satellite of a planet. See Usage Note at planet.


 
 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: dwarf planet

Body, other than a natural satellite (moon), that orbits the Sun and that is, for practical purposes, smaller than the planet Mercury yet large enough for its own gravity to have rounded its shape substantially. The International Astronomical Union adopted this category of solar system bodies in August 2006, designating Pluto, the even more-remote object Eris, and the asteroid Ceres as the first members of the category. Unlike major planets, these three bodies are not massive enough and are in orbits too elliptical, too inclined, or both to have swept up most smaller nearby bodies by gravitational attraction; they thus failed to grow larger.

For more information on dwarf planet, visit Britannica.com.

 
Wikipedia: dwarf planet
Artist's impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). Pluto, considered a planet for 76 years, was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
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Artist's impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). Pluto, considered a planet for 76 years, was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

A dwarf planet is a celestial body within the Solar System that satisfies the following four conditions:[1]

The term dwarf planet was adopted in 2006 as part of a three-way classification of bodies orbiting the Sun. Objects that are large enough to have cleared the neighbourhood of their orbit are defined as planets, while those which are too small to be in hydrostatic equilibrium are defined as small solar system bodies. The category dwarf planet is not a subset of the category planet, but a separate category altogether; that is to say, a dwarf planet is not a planet. As defined, the term dwarf planet does not apply to other planetary systems.[2]

Three dwarf planets are currently recognized: Ceres, Pluto and Eris.

List of dwarf planets

The IAU has officially identified three celestial bodies that have immediately received dwarf planet classification:[3]

Dwarf planets
Name Ceres Pluto Eris
MPC number 1 134340 136199
Region of Solar System Asteroid belt Kuiper belt Scattered disc
Diameter 941±32 km 2306±30 km 2400±100 km
Mass in kg
compared to Earth		 9.5×1020 kg
0.00016		 1.305×1022 kg
0.0022		 ~1.67×1022 kg[4]
0.0028
Mean equatorial radius*
in km		 0.0738
471		 0.180
1,148.07		 0.19
~1,200
Volume*
 0.00042
 0.005
 0.007
Density (in Mg/m³) 2.08 2.0 2.1
Equatorial gravity (in m/s2) 0.27 0.60 ~0.68
Escape velocity (in km/s) 0.51 1.2 ~1.3
Rotation period (d)
(in sidereal days)		 0.3781 -6.38718
(retrograde)
Orbital radius* (AU)
semi-major axis
in km		 2.5-2.9
2.766
413,715,000		 29.66-49.30
39.48168677
5,906,376,200		 37.77-97.56
67.6681
10,210,000,000
Orbital period*(a)
(in sidereal years)		 4.599 248.09 557
Mean orbital speed
(in km/s)		 17.882 4.666 3.437
Orbital eccentricity 0.080 0.24880766 0.44177
Orbital inclination 10.587° 17.14175° 44.187°
Inclination of the equator from the orbit
(see Axial tilt)		 4° 119.61°
Mean surface temperature (in K) 167 40 30
Number of natural satellites 0 3 1
Date of discovery January 1, 1801 February 18, 1930 October 21, 2003

*Measured relative to the Earth.

Other candidates

Additionally, there are several bodies potentially qualifying as dwarf planets. Among these, the following are known or thought to be greater than around 700 km in diameter:

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Possible dwarf planets
Name Category Diameter Mass
2005 FY9 ("Easterbunny") Cubewano ~1500 km ~4.0 × 1021 kg
Sedna Scattered-Extended object 1180–1800 km 1.7-6.1 × 1021 kg
2003 EL61 ("Santa") Cubewano ~ 1500 km ~4.2 × 1021 kg
Quaoar Cubewano 844 - 1260 km 1.0-2.6 × 1021 kg
2002 TC302 Scattered disc object 420 - 1190 km ~7.8 × 1019 kg
Orcus Plutino ~946 km 6.2 - 7.0 × 1020 kg
Varuna Cubewano ~874 km ~5.9 × 1020 kg
2002 UX25 Cubewano ~838 km ~7.9 × 1020 kg
Ixion Plutino <822 km ~5.8 × 1020 kg
2002 AW197 Cubewano ~750 km ~5.2 × 1020 kg
2002 TX300 Cubewano <709 km 1.6 - 3.7 × 1020 kg

The status of Charon, currently regarded as a satellite of Pluto, remains uncertain, as there is presently no clear definition of what distinguishes a satellite system from a binary (double planet) system. The original draft resolution (5)[2] presented to the IAU stated that Charon could be considered a planet because:

  1. Charon independently would satisfy the size and shape criteria for planetary status (and in the terms of the final resolution, for the status of dwarf planet)
  2. Charon, on account of its large mass relative to Pluto, revolves with Pluto around a common barycentre located in space between Pluto and Charon rather than around a point located within Pluto.

This definition, however, was not preserved in the IAU's final resolution. It is unknown if it will be taken up at a future date. If a similar definition were to be adopted, Charon would be added to the list of dwarf planets.

The second, third, and fourth largest objects in the main asteroid belt (Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea) could be classified as dwarf planets if it is shown that their shape is determined by hydrostatic equilibrium. At present this has not been demonstrated conclusively.[5] The Dawn probe, expected to enter orbit around Vesta in 2011, may provide evidence for or against dwarf planet in that case.

Size and mass of dwarf planets

The upper and lower limits to the size and mass of dwarf planets are not specified in the IAU resolution. There is strictly no upper limit, and an object larger or more massive than Mercury that is considered not to have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit may still be classified as a dwarf planet.

The lower limit is determined by the concept of hydrostatic equilibrium shape, but the size or mass at which an object attains this shape is undefined, and empirical observations suggest that it may vary according to the composition and history of the object. The original draft of IAU resolution 5 defined hydrostatic equilibrium shape as applying "to objects with mass above 5×1020 kg and diameter greater than 800 km",[2] but this language was not retained in the final resolution 5A that was passed.

According to some astronomers, the new definition could mean the addition of up to 45 new dwarf planets.[6][7]

Orbital dominance

Main article: Clearing the neighbourhood

Using a parameter developed by S. Alan Stern and Harold F. Levison, Steven Soter and other astronomers have argued for a distinction between dwarf planets and the other eight planets based on their inability to "clear the neighborhood around their orbits", that is, to remove smaller bodies whose orbits bring them nearby by collision, capture, or gravitational disturbance. This concept is combined with a concept of orbital dominance measured in terms of the ratio of the mass of a planetary candidate to the combined mass of all other objects in its vicinity. Dwarf planets are too small in mass to significantly alter their environment in the manner of a planet.

There are several other theories that try to differentiate between planets and dwarf planets, but the current definition of what constitutes a planet uses this concept.

Stern et al. introduce a parameter Λ, expressing the probability of an encounter resulting in a given deflection of orbit. The value of this parameter in Stern’s model is proportional to the square of the mass and inversely proportional to the period. Following the authors, this value can be used to estimate the capacity of a body to clear the neighbourhood of its orbit. Stern and Levison found a gap of five orders of magnitude in Λ between the smallest terrestrial planets and the largest asteroids and KBOs:

Planetary discriminants
Body Mass (ME*)
 Λ/ΛE**
 µ***
Mercury 0.055 0.0126 9.1×104
Venus 0.815 1.08 1.35×106
Earth 1.00 1.00 1.7×106
Mars 0.107 0.0061 1.8×105
Ceres 0.00015 8.7×10−9 0.33
Jupiter 317.7 8510 6.25×105
Saturn 95.2 308 1.9×105
Uranus 14.5 2.51 2.9×104
Neptune 17.1 1.79 2.4×104
Pluto 0.0022 1.95×10−8 0.077
Eris 0.0028 3.5×10−8 0.10

*ME in Earth masses.
**Λ/ΛE = M²/P, in Earth masses squared per year.
***µ = M/m, where M is the mass of the body, and m is the aggregate mass of all the other bodies that share its orbital zone.

Contention

A number of scientists expressed their disagreement[8] with the currently adopted IAU definition of dwarf planet by means of car bumper stickers.

While accepting the characterisation of dwarf planet for Pluto and Eris (dwarf planet in this case meaning just a small planet), Stern rejects the current IAU definition of planet, both in terms of defining dwarf planets as something other than a type of planet, and in using orbital characteristics (rather than intrinsic characteristics) of objects to define them as dwarf planets.[9] Thus, he and his team will still refer to Pluto as the ninth planet. One should also note, that it will be in pages hosted by NASA and controlled by Stern's team, that the upcoming information and the first photographs of Pluto will be unveiled to the world. However, NASA has announced that it will use the new guidelines established by the IAU.[10]

Prior to the 2006 IAU reclassification, several terms were suggested for bodies which are now formally cited as a dwarf planet, including minor planet, subplanet and planetoid.

Types of dwarf planets

The IAU's Resolution 6a[3] recognizes Pluto as "the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects". The name and precise nature of this category are not specified, but in the debate leading up to the resolution, the members of the category were variously referred to as Plutons and Plutonian objects. The former name was generally deprecated[11] and was abandoned in the final draft resolution (6b)[12]; the latter name failed to win majority approval on a 180–186 vote in the IAU General Assembly on August 24 2006. The category, while established, remains nameless.

At an earlier stage in the definition process, the category (then described as "pluton") was defined to be a planet whose orbit took more than 200 Julian years to complete and whose orbit was more highly inclined and elliptical than a traditional planetary orbit.[13]

This category of Pluto-like objects only applies to dwarf planets which meet the conditions of being trans-Neptunian and "like Pluto" in terms of period, inclination and eccentricity. A dwarf planet may or may not be a member of this category, but all members of the category must be dwarf planets.

The membership of this class, other than Pluto itself, remains obscure. Eris and the objects listed in the table "Possible dwarf planets" (above) also qualify in terms of the minimum period, and most exhibit orbital eccentricity and inclination that are significant, though not always equal to or greater than Pluto's. Quaoar, however, has a much smaller eccentricity and inclination, and so possibly does not qualify as a Pluto-like object.

See also

References

  1. ^ IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes
  2. ^ a b c Draft Resolution 5 for GA-XXVI: Definition of a Planet.
  3. ^ a b IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes.
  4. ^ Brown, M.E. et al. 2006. Satellites of the Largest Kuiper Belt Objects. Astrophysical Journal, 639:L43-L46 More accurate work based on Dysnomia's orbit in preparation.
  5. ^ Three new planets may join solar system. New Scientist. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  6. ^ Nine Planets Become 12 with Controversial New Definition. Space.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  7. ^ What makes a planet?. Michael E. Brown. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  8. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5283956.stm
  9. ^ Unabashedly Onward to the Ninth Planet.
  10. ^ Hotly-Debated Solar System Object Gets a Name, NASA press release.
  11. ^ Astronomers divided over "planet" definition.
  12. ^ The Final IAU Resolution on the definition of "planet" ready for voting.
  13. ^ Draft definition, IAU press release.

External links


The Solar System
<imagemap>

Image:Solar System XXVII.png

  1. The Sun

rect 0 0 90 35 The Sun

  1. Mercury

circle 112 18 6 Mercury

  1. Venus

circle 153 18 8 Venus

  1. Earth and the Moon

circle 203 8 4 The Moon circle 194 18 8 Earth

  1. Mars and satellites

circle 239 13 3 Phobos and Deimos circle 233 18 8 Mars

  1. Ceres and the asteroid belt
  2. - by placing the rectangle code for the asteroid belt AFTER Ceres, Ceres is "on top" (and can co-exist)

circle 271 18 8 Ceres rect 256 0 288 35 The asteroid belt

  1. Jupiter and satellites

circle 316 18 15 Jupiter circle 329 5 6 Moons of Jupiter

  1. Saturn and satellites

circle 372 18 10 Saturn circle 381 7 6 Moons of Saturn

  1. Uranus and satellites

circle 418 18 9 Uranus circle 427 10 6 Moons of Uranus

  1. Neptune and satellites

circle 471 10 3 Moons of Neptune circle 462 18 12 Neptune

  1. Pluto, satellites, and the Kuiper belt
  2. - by placing the rectangle code for the Kuiper belt AFTER Pluto, Pluto is "on top" (and can co-exist)

circle 508 13 3 Moons of Pluto circle 504 18 8 Pluto rect 492 0 527 35 The Kuiper Belt

  1. Eris, Dysnomia, and the Scattered disc
  2. - by placing the rectangle code for the Scattered disc AFTER Eris, Eris is "on top" (and can co-exist)

circle 544 14 3 Dysnomia circle 540 18 8 Eris rect 528 0 567 35 The Scattered Disc rect 568 0 597 35 The Oort Cloud

desc none

  1. - setting this to "bottom-right" will display a (rather large) icon linking to the graphic, if desired
  1. Notes:
  2. Details on the new coding for clickable images is here: [1]
  3. The smaller planets have a bit of an overlap just to ensure they're locatable, especially in the belts.
  4. While it may look strange, it's important to keep the codes for a particular system in order. The clickable coding treats the first object created in an area as the one on top.
  5. - I've placed moons on "top" so that their smaller circles won't disappear "under" their respective planets or dwarf planets.
  6. The "poly" code would be more appropriate for the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. However, there appears to be a bug with that aspect of the code.
  7. - I've compensated by using oversized circles for those moon groups, and tucking them UNDER their planets for now.
  8. The Sun is a rectangle as that approximates the edge closely enough for the purposes of this template.
  9. I've guessed as to the boundaries for the KB, SD, and OC - if they need adjustment, load the image into Paint and use the pencil tool to find the appropriate coordinates.

</imagemap>
The Sun · Mercury · Venus · Earth · Mars · Ceres · Jupiter · Saturn · Uranus · Neptune · Pluto · Eris
Planets · Dwarf planets · Moons: Terrestrial · Martian · Jovian · Saturnian · Uranian · Neptunian · Plutonian · Eridian
Small bodies:   Meteoroids · Asteroids/Asteroid moons (Asteroid belt) · Centaurs · TNOs (Kuiper belt/Scattered disc) · Comets (Oort cloud)
See also astronomical objects, the solar system's list of objects, sorted by radius or mass, and the Solar System Portal

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dwarf planet".  Read more

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