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Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond Neptune. It was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh (1906–1997) in February 1930 and named by 11 years old British schoolgirl Venetia Burney (1918–2009). It was originally considered to be the ninth planet from the Sun. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union re-classified Pluto as a dwarf planet.[1]

In July 2015, American unmanned spaceprobe New Horizons flew past Pluto and its natural satellites, sending back images to Earth throughout the upcoming months.[2][3][4][5]

Natural satellites[]

Five natural satellites orbit Pluto.

  • Charon
  • Hydra
  • Kerberos
  • Nix
  • Styx

References[]

  1. Pluto loses status as a planet (in English). BBC (24 August 2006). Retrieved on 20 May 2021.
  2. Jonathan Amos (13 July 2015). Spacecraft data boosts Pluto's size (in English). BBC. Retrieved on 20 May 2021.
  3. Jonathan Amos (14 July 2015). NASA spacecraft speeds past Pluto (in English). BBC. Retrieved on 20 May 2021.
  4. Jonathan Amos (25 September 2015). Pluto displays rippling terrain (in English). BBC. Retrieved on 20 May 2021.
  5. Jonathan Amos (1 October 2015). Charon moon seen in super detail (in English). BBC. Retrieved on 20 May 2021.
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