• Question: how many dwarf planets are there?

    Asked by holliebob to Kuntal on 15 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Kuntal Singh

      Kuntal Singh answered on 15 Nov 2016:

      The criteria of being a dwarf planet is:
      1) It has to orbit the sun
      2) It has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape
      3) It has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit
      4) It is not a moon

      So based on this criteria, there are five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea. I am sure there are plenty more waiting to be discovered.

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