Dwarf planets

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Ceres appears as a gray cratered sphere against a background of stars. There is a bright blue patch in the center

Ceres: The closest dwarf planet to Earth

By Keith Cooper last updated

Reference Learn all about the dwarf planet Ceres, including its discovery, location, composition and the Dawn mission.

Reference
three notable celestial bodies are seen as lit crescents, one in the foreground takes up half the image, the second is much smaller at the top, with a shining third near the bottom right as the first two's star. other dimmer stars are present.

Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris is surprisingly squishy

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris has a rocky core blanketed by an icy shell, which appears to be flexing slowly.

Dwarf Planets
a silver-and-grey round rock in space

Dwarf planet Ceres could be a great place to hunt for alien life. Here's why

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Asteroid impacts on dwarf planet Ceres influenced the presence of organic aliphatic molecules, according to new research.

Dwarf Planets
An illustration of dwarf planet Haumea, its two moons and a narrow ring of rocky particles.

See dwarf planet Haumea at its closest to Earth in 285 years tonight

By Stefanie Waldek published

Dwarf planet Haumea reaches both opposition and perigee on April 20, making this a prime opportunity to see the dwarf planet in the night sky.

Dwarf Planets
Ceres will be at opposition on March 21, 2023, though you'll still need a telescope to see the dwarf planet.

Spot dwarf planet Ceres during the new moon tonight

By Robert Lea published

The dark skies of the new moon will offer skywatchers the chance to spot Ceres tonight (March 21), as the dwarf planet reaches opposition.

Dwarf Planets
This image of the dwarf planet Ceres, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft in 2015, approximates how the dwarf planet's colors would appear to the eye.

Astronomers spy new class of dark, water-rich asteroids like dwarf planet Ceres

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Astronomers interpret the spectra of 10 well-known dark asteroids and find them to be water-rich like the dwarf planet Ceres.

Dwarf Planets
An artist’s impression of the dwarf planet Quaoar and its ring. Quaoar’s moon Weywot is shown on the left.

A dwarf planet beyond Neptune has a mysterious ring that astronomers can't explain

By Tereza Pultarova published

A mini-planet orbiting in the frigid outer reaches of the solar system has a Saturn-like ring of dust and debris that defies the rules of physics, a new study has revealed.

Dwarf Planets
An artist's illustration of the strage, fast-spinning dwarf planet Haumea and its two moons and rings.

NASA seeks origin of 'weird' fast-spinning dwarf planet Haumea

By Robert Lea last updated

The dwarf planet Haumea may be the weirdest object in the solar system. Now NASA researchers may finally understand how it was formed.

Dwarf Planets
Mars Rover new misssion

Mars Mission May Be Curtain Call for Plutonium-Powered Spacecraft

By Denise Chow last updated

With a worldwide shortage of plutonium-238, future planetary science missions are in jeopardy.

Dwarf Planets
Plutonium-238 Production Image

Full-Scale Production of Plutonium Spacecraft Fuel Still Years Away

By Mike Wall last updated

The United States has begun manufacturing nuclear spacecraft fuel for the first time in a generation, but full production of the stuff likely won't begin until 2023 at the earliest.

Dwarf Planets
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