History of the Discovery and Characteristics of Pluto

KOMPAS.com – Pluto is no longer called a planet by The International Astronomy Union (IAU) since 2006.

Pluto is considered not to meet all the criteria set by the IAU to be called a planet.

One criterion that Pluto doesn’t meet as a planet is that it hasn’t “cleared” its orbital environment of other objects.

Currently, Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet that is smaller than the planet but still orbits the sun.

Reporting from NASA, August 4 2015, the following are characteristics of Pluto and interesting facts around it.

Also read: Why Is Pluto No Longer Called a Planet?

1. Very far from the Sun

Pluto’s average distance is 39.5 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. This distance is nearly 40 million times farther than Earth’s distance from the sun.

Since its orbit is elliptical, Pluto’s distance from the Sun is not always the same. Pluto’s closest point from the Sun is 29.7 AU and its farthest point is 49.3 AU.

2. Only half as wide as the United States

Pluto is only 2,370 kilometers wide or about half the width of the United States and is smaller than the moon.

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