Dwarf planet orbits. Diagram of the Solar System, showing the orbits of the four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, green), three dwa
Dwarf planet orbits. Diagram of the Solar System, showing the orbits of the four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, green), three dwarf planets (yellow) and ten candidate dwarf planets (brown). 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). The candidate dwarf planets (all in the Kuiper Belt) are: 2003 EL61, Orcus, Sedna, 2005 FY9, Quaoar, Ixion, 2002 TX300, Varuna, 2002 TC302 and 2002 UX25. For a labelled version of this diagram, see R300/292.
Size: 5000px × 4000px
Photo credit: © MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2002, 2003, 2005, artwork, asteroid, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, belt, candidate, celestial, ceres, diagram, dwarf, dynamics, el61, eris, fy9, illustration, ixion, jupiter, kbo, kbos, kuiper, mechanics, neptune, object, objects, orbit, orbital, orbits, orcus, planet, planetary, planets, pluto, quaoar, saturn, science, sedna, solar, space, sun, system, tc302, tx300, uranus, ux25, varuna
