Dwarf planet orbits. Diagram of the Solar System, showing the orbits of the four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, green) and three

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Dwarf planet orbits. Diagram of the Solar System, showing the orbits of the four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, green) and three dwarf planets (yellow). A dwarf planet is an object that fails to dominate its orbit around the Sun (unlike a true planet), but which still has an independent orbit (unlike moons), and is large enough to be spherical due to gravity. The three dwarf planets are: Ceres (in the asteroid belt), and Pluto and Eris (both in the Kuiper Belt). There are numerous candidate dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt, some of which are shown in image R300/293. For a labelled version of this diagram, see image R300/294.

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Size: 4606px × 3535px
Photo credit: © MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: artwork, asteroid, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, belt, celestial, ceres, diagram, dwarf, dynamics, eris, illustration, jupiter, kbo, kbos, kuiper, mechanics, neptune, object, objects, orbit, orbital, orbits, planet, planetary, planets, pluto, saturn, science, solar, space, sun, system, uranus