Two
Dimensional Art / The Solar system ursyn@unco.edu |
The Solar System In order to be named a planet, it needs to be identified by three variables. Dwarfs can only fulfill two conditions. They orbit the Sun, are massive enough for their own gravity to give them a nearly round shape, but they do not fulfill the third criterion because they do not clear their orbital neighborhood. A planet needs to clear its path around its orbit. Ceres, Pluto and Eris could not clear their neighborhood around their orbits so they are proclaimed dwarf planets. |