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    Presentation Pluto

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    Presentation Pluto

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    Presentation Pluto

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    You are on page 1of 8

    PLUTO –

    From a Planet to Dwarf


    In 1905, astronomer Percival Lowell predicted the existence of a ninth
    planet beyond Neptune. He named it “Planet X’’.

    Clyde Tombaugh, a 23-year-old aspiring astronomer,


    who joined the Lowell Observatory in 1929 to take on
    the planet X challenge. On February 18, 1930,
    Tombaugh finally spotted a faint moving object on
    photographic plates. This marked the historic
    discovery of Pluto, the long-sought Planet X.
    * The Lowell Observatory invited
    the public to suggest names for
    the newly discovered planet. Over
    1,000 entries poured in from
    across the globe!
    * In Oxford, England, 11-year-old
    Venetia Burney, captivated by
    Roman mythology, suggested the
    name "Pluto," the Roman god of
    the underworld.
    * On May 24, 1930, Venetia's
    suggestion was chosen. "Pluto"
    resonated with the planet's distant
    and icy realm.
    For over 75 years, Pluto held its place
    as the ninth planet. However, the
    discovery of similar objects beyond
    Neptune, like Eris, sparked a need for
    a clearer definition of a planet.

    The IAU's Criteria: In 2006, the International


    Astronomical Union (IAU) established a new
    definition, requiring planets to:
    1) Orbit the Sun directly.
    2) Be massive enough for their own gravity to
    make them round.
    3) Have "cleared the neighborhood" around
    their orbit.
    Pluto's Reclassification: Unfortunately, Pluto
    didn't meet the third criterion. It shares the Kuiper
    Belt with numerous other icy objects, failing to
    dominate its orbital zone. This led to its
    reclassification as a dwarf planet.
    Property Value
    Volumetric mean radius 1,188 km
    Tombaugh Regio: This vast heart-shaped plain of
    Mean density 1,854 kg/m³
    nitrogen ice is one of Pluto's most distinctive features,
    Surface Gravity (mean) 0.62 m/s²
    covering nearly a quarter of its surface.
    Escape Velocity 1.2 km/s
    Anti-clockwise Rotation: Unlike most planets, Pluto
    Rotation Period 6.39 days
    rotates on its axis counter-clockwise, leading to its
    Orbital Period 248 years
    unusual day-night cycle.
    Orbital Eccentricity 0.244 Cryovolcanoes: The presence of icy mountains and
    Orbital Inclination 17.2° ridges suggests past cryovolcanic activity, where volatile
    Mean Surface Temperature -223°C (-370°F) ices like nitrogen erupt onto the surface.
    Nitrogen (N₂), Methane (CH₄),
    Atmosphere Composition
    Carbon Monoxide (CO)
    Pluto has five known moons:
    Charon, Hydra, Nix, Styx, and
    Kerberos. Charon is Pluto's largest
    moon, and they are tidally locked,
    meaning they always show the
    same face to each other.
    Conclusion
    Understanding the Solar System: Pluto's study helps us
    understand the formation and evolution of the Kuiper Belt
    and icy bodies beyond Neptune.
    Internal Heat and Oceans: Recent research suggests Pluto
    might have an internal ocean of liquid water beneath its icy
    surface, potentially driven by heat from radioactive decay.
    Future Missions: Several proposed missions aim to explore
    the Kuiper Belt further, with Pluto and its moon Charon as
    potential targets.
    NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was the first spacecraft to
    explore Pluto up close, flying by the dwarf planet and its
    moons on July 14, 2015.
    THANKYOU…

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