Pluto
Diameter 1,429 Miles
Length of day 6.4 Earth days
Length of year 248 earth years
Average temperature -357 F
In 1930 an American astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh compared some pictures he had taken in the same area in space. He noticed a faint dot moving differently than the objects around it, and realized it must be a planet. And so Pluto became the 9th planet and held that spot for more than 75 years. But in 2006 the International Astronomical Union, whose opinion is very important, decided Pluto was not a planet after all.
So, Pluto was given a knew name: a Dwarf Planet. Pluto isn’t the only dwarf planet in the solar system but it is special because it was a regular planet for so long. Another odd thing about Pluto is its orbit: other planets’ orbits rotate in a circle around the sun but Pluto’s orbit is shaped like a egg. Pluto has 1 moon; it is called Charon. Pluto’s moon is unusual because it orbits so close to it. When Pluto was discovered astronomers held a international contest to find a name for it. The winner was a 11 year-old girl from England. She suggested the name Pluto after the roman god of the underworld. It was perfect for a mysterious object like Pluto.
