What Is a Dwarf Planet?

Illustration of a solar system with planets on similar orbits except for one that is travelling on a skewed, debris filled elliptic. Caption: A dwarf planet could have a bumpy ride as it travels.

Dwarf planets are a lot like regular planets. They both have enough mass and gravity to be nearly round, and they both travel through space in a path around the Sun. However, the path of the dwarf planet is full of objects like asteroids. A regular planet has a clear path around the sun.

(Source: DCMP)

Metadata

Keywords:
astronomy, orbit

Files 1

  • What Is a Dwarf Planet?

    Type:
    Video
    Format:
    Streaming
    Accommodations:
    English Audio Descriptions - Visual, English Captions - Auditory
    Languages:
    English
    License:
    DCMP Membership
    Author:
    NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
    Length:
    1 minute