These faraway worlds need to check off only two or three planet-defining characteristics: They must orbit the sun and be big enough for their gravity to squish them into a spherical shape. Along with Pluto, astronomers have identified four other dwarf planets. Most of them join Pluto in the Kuiper belt of comets beyond the orbit of Neptune, the eighth planet from the sun. They include 1. Eris, which rivals Pluto in size; egg-shaped. 2. Haumea, one of the fastest- spinning objects in the solar system (it’s ‘’day’’ lasts just four hours); mighty. 3. Ceres, the largest of the asteroids at nearly 600 miles (966 km) in diameter; and 4. Makemake, which is the most recently discovered and the most awesomely named. The five confirmed dwarf planets – including Pluto – are all smaller than earth’s moon, but some of them have moons themselves.
Picture Credit : Google
