Celestial Objects
Eris
Dwarf Planet
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Eris is one of the largest known dwarf planets, roughly the same size as Pluto but orbiting about three times farther from the Sun; its 2005 discovery triggered the scientific debate that led the International Astronomical Union to redefine the term planet in 2006, reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet in the process.
Facts
Diameter (km) Orbital Distance68 AU, about 10 billion km, from the Sun 1 Discovery Year Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. NASA Solar System Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space Administrationscience.nasa.gov, Dwarf Planets: ErisQuote, science.nasa.gov, Dwarf Planets: Eris
The discovery of Eris help trigger a debate in the scientific community that led to the International Astronomical Union's decision in 2006 to clarify the definition of a planet.
NASA Science - Eris (Dwarf Planets)
NASA, NASAAssociated With: Palomar Observatory, Discovery sectionQuote, Associated With: Palomar Observatory, Discovery section
Eris was discovered on Jan. 5, 2005, from data obtained on Oct. 21, 2003, during a Palomar Observatory survey of the outer solar system by Mike Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology; Chad Trujillo of the Gemini Observatory; and David Rabinowitz of Yale University.
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