Samuel Chiltern answered
Pluto follows an exaggerated elliptical orbit around the Sun, so it is not always the same distance away from it. However, on average, it is about 5.9 billion kilometres away.
At its closest point of orbit, Pluto is only 4.44 billion kilometres away, moving out to 7.38 billion kilometres at its furthest point.
The Chequered History of Pluto
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. It was classified as the ninth planet in the solar system right up until 2006, when it was then reclassified as a dwarf planet.
Pluto is the second-largest dwarf planet in the solar system (after Eris). It was downgraded to dwarf planet status after the discovery of several other large celestial objects within the Kuiper Belt, (including Eris, which has 27% more mass than Pluto), in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.
The Kuiper Belt is a disc of asteroids and dwarf planets, which travel round the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is composed of objects that are mostly made from frozen liquids, and gases such as methane and water.
Pluto has five moons, which are believed to have been created by an impact with another object in the Kuiper Belt.
Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, is big enough to cause scientists to wonder whether the effect of its gravity upon Pluto is enough to classify the pair as binary dwarf planets. (Charon is slightly bigger than half the diameter of Pluto.)
At its closest point of orbit, Pluto is only 4.44 billion kilometres away, moving out to 7.38 billion kilometres at its furthest point.
The Chequered History of Pluto
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. It was classified as the ninth planet in the solar system right up until 2006, when it was then reclassified as a dwarf planet.
Pluto is the second-largest dwarf planet in the solar system (after Eris). It was downgraded to dwarf planet status after the discovery of several other large celestial objects within the Kuiper Belt, (including Eris, which has 27% more mass than Pluto), in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.
The Kuiper Belt is a disc of asteroids and dwarf planets, which travel round the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is composed of objects that are mostly made from frozen liquids, and gases such as methane and water.
Pluto has five moons, which are believed to have been created by an impact with another object in the Kuiper Belt.
Charon, the largest of Pluto's moons, is big enough to cause scientists to wonder whether the effect of its gravity upon Pluto is enough to classify the pair as binary dwarf planets. (Charon is slightly bigger than half the diameter of Pluto.)
