| The ninth planet
from the sun, Pluto has a 247.7 year orbit around the sun. Yet, it
also has a bizarre orbit. Sometimes it is closer to the sun than
Neptune, and does not always go in the classic eliptical course.
Its origin and existence were discovered in 1905 by a U.S Astronomer named
Percival, in Lowell. He recognized the existence of a planet beyond
Neptune, but had never been able to see it. It was not until 25 years later
that Clyde Thombaugh completed Percivals study and was the first to behold
the planet Pluto.
There is not much known about Pluto. Scientists do know that it has a large moon orbiting it, Charron. Charron is almost the same size as Pluto, almost making it a double planet orbit. The atmosphere on Pluto is also very thin, theorized to be made up of methane. Its surface is very rocky, more so than other planets. This is probably caused from cold temperature/low pressure chemical changes when the planet was forming. Also, during its long winter, Pluto forms ice caps at its polar regions. There is a theory about the origin of pluto. Many astronomers believe that Pluto may have once been a moon of Neptune, but got knocked out of its orbit and into another one, but there is no evidence or theory on what could have hit it hard enough to make such a change, without major damage. |
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