Dwarf Planets and Pluto / Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

Dwarf Planets and PlutoKuiper Belt / Oort Cloud

Demoted…What’s going on?

Pluto

It is a Solid object made of rock and ice.It is not made of gas – solid terrestrialConsidered a DWARF (minor) Planet Part of the Kuiper Belt (Region that extends

past Neptune engulfed by the Oort Cloud.

MINOR OR DWARF PLANET1. In orbit of the Sun2. Sufficient mass to have

gravitationally rounded itself3. "cleared and ordered" its orbit.

NOPE: Kuiper Belt still Rocky/Icy Mess!

Pluto

It takes 248 Earth years to revolve once around the sun. It has the most elliptical orbit. Takes longest to revolve. Crosses Neptune’s orbit.

Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud

Region beyond Neptune where small, icy, slow-moving objects orbit the sun.

Most Comets originate from this region! (Halley’s)

• The Kuiper Belt contains the remnants of planets that never formed, and small planetoid objects.

• Pluto is a part of the Kuiper Belt. • The Kuiper Belt exists out past the planet

Neptune.

• The Oort Cloud exists nearly 1,000,000AU from Earth.

• 93 Trillion miles away from Earth.

• The Oort Cloud contains Trillions of icy Comets.

• Comets get moved from the cloud by a gravitational flick from another object.