Each one is weird, icy, and wonderful in its own way. Here, we organized them by size, and start with the biggest.
- Pluto -
Pluto was once the beloved ninth planet. And it remains the largest known dwarf planet at 2,377 km wide. It's a frozen world of icy plains, mountain ranges, and a heart-shaped feature that captured global fascination when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by in 2015. Located in the Kuiper Belt, Pluto’s complex surface and thin atmosphere continue to intrigue scientists.
- Eris -
Just slightly smaller than Pluto (2,326 km), Eris is one of the most reflective objects in the solar system, with a brightness comparable to fresh snow. Its discovery in 2005 challenged Pluto’s status and helped lead to the formal redefinition of what qualifies as a planet.
- Haumea –
Perhaps the strangest of the dwarf planets, Haumea is stretched into an oval shape due to its rapid rotation. Measuring around 1,632 km in diameter, it stands out with a ring system and two moons, making it the only known dwarf planet with rings.
- Makemake –
This reddish dwarf planet, about 1,430 km wide, lies far beyond Neptune and has a surface rich in frozen methane. Discovered around Easter in 2005, it was named after a fertility deity of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.
- Ceres –
The only dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres (940 km) is also the closest dwarf planet to Earth. NASA's Dawn mission revealed mysterious bright spots and signs of possible subsurface water, raising questions about its potential for past habitability.
Source: NASA. (2023). Dwarf Planets in Our Solar System.
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