Dwarf Planets
Eris Could be Slushier Than Pluto
In 2005, astronomer Mike Brown and his colleagues Chad Trujillo and David Rabinowitz announced the discovery of a previously unknown…
Dwarf Planet Quaoar has a Ring
Quaoar is one of about 3,000 dwarf planets in our Solar System's Kuiper Belt. Astronomers discovered it in 2002. It's…
Dwarf Planet Haumea is one of the Stranger Objects in the Solar System. How did it get That way?
There's still a raging debate in some circles as to whether Pluto should be a planet or not. Ask an…
It’s Starting to Look Like Ceres is an Ocean World, Too
A new and thorough analysis of high-resolution images and data from NASA’s Dawn mission have now provided fresh insights into…
Space Dust Delivered Water to Vesta, Could it Have Done the Same for Earth?
One of the most enduring questions about Earth regards the origins of its water. Where did it come from? One…
Over a Hundred New Large Objects Found in the Kuiper Belt
Hey Pluto, Sedna, Haumea, Makemake Et al.: You’ve got company! While searching for distant galaxies and supernovae, the Dark Energy…
Asteroid Hygiea is Round Enough That it Could Qualify as a Dwarf Planet, the Smallest in the Solar System
Using the Very Large Telescope, an international team of astronomers observed Hygeia and determined it could be the smallest dwarf…
Dwarf Planet Haumea Has a Ring
A unique opportunity to study the dwarf planet Haumea has led to an intriguing discovery: Haumea is surrounded by a…
Phenomenal New View of Ceres ‘Lonely Mountain’ Reveals Signs of Volcanic Activity
An amazing new view of Ceres' Ahuna Mons reveals it as a towering volcanic dome likely composed of salty mud.…
New Dwarf Planet Discovered Beyond Neptune
A dwarf planet has been discovered beyond Neptune. It's about 700 km in size, and its orbit takes it 120…