Dwarf Planets
There are five Dwarf planets in our solar system:
• Pluto
• Eris
• Ceres
• Makemake
• Haumea
Pluto
It is the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System, discovered in 1930. It was thought to be the 9th planet of our system for 75 years until the discovery of Eris and other similar objects that led to its demotion from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006.
Pluto is named after the Roman god of the underworld, the equivalent of Hades in Greek mythology.
It has five moons: Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra. Charon is the largest with a diameter just over half of Pluto and is the biggest known moon of a dwarf planet.
Eris
It is the most distant dwarf planet, located beyond the orbit of Neptune. It was discovered in 2005 and was originally classified as a planet. It is the second-largest dwarf planet discovered and it led to both it and Pluto’s demotion from planets to dwarf planets.
Eris was nicknamed Xena by the team, and later named Eris, after the ancient Greek goddess of discord and strife. The name fits since Eris remains at the center of a scientific debate about the definition of a planet. It also led to Pluto’s demotion from a planet to a dwarf planet.
It doesn’t have rings, nothing is known about its magnetosphere but it does have a moon named Dysnomia after the demon goddess of lawlessness and the daughter of Eris.
Ceres
It is the only dwarf planet that isn’t located in the Kuiper Belt but rather in the inner solar system in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Discovered in 1801, it was considered a planet for a year, and then an asteroid, the first of its kind until 2006, when it was classified as of dwarf planet being the smallest of them.
It was discovered in 1801 by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, who also gave it its name Ceres Ferdinandea. The name was changed to Ceres, the roman goddess of agriculture.
It does not have any moons or rings, and scientists believe that it also lacks a magnetosphere.
Makemake
Makemake is the second furthest dwarf planet from the Sun located beyond Neptune’s orbit. Discovered in 2005, it is the third-largest known dwarf planet.
It is large enough and bright enough to be studied by high-end amateur telescopes and is about a fifth as bright as Pluto but is dimmer than Pluto yet brighter than Eris.
Makemake has one satellite, a dim lightened moon that was named MK 2.
Haumea
It is the fastest rotating dwarf planet with the most interesting/controversial shape. It is located beyond the orbit of Neptune. It was discovered in 2004 and is the fourth largest dwarf planet.
Haumea and its moons were named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth. The goddess Haumea had two children: Hi’iaka and Namaka.
It is believed that Haumea’s shape, quick rotation, high albedo and its two moons, are consequences of a giant collision.