Page 204 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

202
How big

is Pluto?

Pluto is the largest
dwarf planet, measuring
6,427,805 sq miles

(16,647,940 km²)—
just 3.3 percent

of Earth’s area.

Pluto is currently more than 3 billion miles
(5 billion km) from Earth. A NASA spacecraft
flew past Pluto in 2015, having set off from
Earth in 2006. Light takes eight minutes to
reach the Earth from the Sun, but at least
four hours to travel from Pluto to Earth.
Pluto was downgraded
from a planet to a dwarf
FAST FACTS planet—a round object in
the solar system that is
There are five recognized dwarf planets bigger than a comet or
in the solar system. Pluto and Eris are asteroid, but not planet-
almost the same size, but Haumea, sized, and orbits the Sun.
Makemake, and Ceres are smaller.
Experts estimate there may be more
than 100 dwarf planets yet to be found.

Earth’s Moon 2,158 miles (3,474 km) Pluto 1,470 miles (2,372 km) Eris 1,445 miles (2,326 km) Haumea 892 miles (1,436 km) Makemake 882 miles (1,420 km) Ceres 592 miles (952 km)

Dwarf planet diameters

US_202-203_309600_Pluto.indd 202 20/12/17 5:31 pm