Dwarf Planets

Dwarf planets are small worlds in space. They are round like planets and travel around the Sun. But they are not big enough to clear other objects from their path. That is why they are not called full planets. Pluto is the most famous dwarf planet.

Known Dwarf Planets

Scientists have named five dwarf planets so far. They are Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Ceres. Ceres is the closest to the Sun and lives in the asteroid belt. The others live far out near Pluto.

A close-up of Pluto, a dwarf planet with a big icy heart shape.
A close-up of Pluto, a dwarf planet with a big icy heart shape. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker / Wikimedia Commons)

How They Are Different

Dwarf planets are smaller than regular planets. They share their space with lots of rocks and ice. Some have their own moons. Most are very cold because they are far from the Sun.

Fun Facts

  • Haumea spins so fast that it looks like an egg.
  • Eris was discovered in 2005 and is almost the size of Pluto.
  • There may be many more dwarf planets not yet found.

Did You Know?

Pluto was called a planet for 76 years before it became a dwarf planet in 2006.