Tag Archives: pluto

Pluto: dwarfPLANET

Growing up with Pluto being known as the ninth planet, I’m interested in Pluto, its uniqueness and why it was revoked of the prestigious planetary title. The discovery of other planetary objects in the outer solar system today known as dwarf planets made the switch of Pluto’s classification from a planet to a dwarf planet. […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Pluto: dwarfPLANET

Pluto: from planet to dwarf planet

Pluto is one of the six dwarf planets that we have currently identified in our solar system, and it was the first object discovered in the Kuiper belt. It was discovered in 1930 and was initially declared to be the ninth planet. However, when other objects were discovered in the Kuiper belt (like the dwarf […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Historical | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Pluto: from planet to dwarf planet

Blog 5: Pluto

Pluto is a very weird, and unknown “mass”. Since being alive, our generation has known Pluto as the 9th planet of the solar system, and now as a giant rock, or dwarf planet. Despite this, Pluto has some very cool features that aren’t seen other places in the solar system, such as Ice Volcanos. Although […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog 5: Pluto

Cryovolcanoes on Pluto

A recent discovery published by Nature Communications has revealed a series of ice volcanoes on the surface of Pluto. The images which lead to this discovery were captured by Nasa’s New Horizons in 2015, but it was only recently that scientists were able to identify specific peaks that they now believe are ice volcanoes, known […] Continue reading

Posted in Science | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Cryovolcanoes on Pluto

You Can’t Sit With us

The famous used to be planet kicked out by none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson is now considered a dwarf planet, ever since 2006. Pluto was reclassified because it didn’t meet the three criteria the IUA uses to define a full sized planet Criteria Must orbit a star  It must be big enough to have […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on You Can’t Sit With us

Kuiper Belt Objects

The Kuiper Belt is a region in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune as shown in the photo above. Although they have only scratched the surface, there has been about 2,000 objects discovered so far in the Kuiper belt. It is said to be filled with bits of rock and ice, along withContinue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading

Posted in Class, Space Travel, Universe | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Kuiper Belt Objects

The Heart of Pluto

Pluto’s beloved carotid glacier, Tombaugh Regio, has been the apple of astronomers’ eyes ever since New Horizons made its fly-by in 2015. This fly-by gave us the highest resolution images of Pluto we’ve ever been able to capture, and in these new photos, a particular feature on the dwarf planet’s surface rose to a meteoricContinue reading “The Heart of Pluto” Continue reading

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Heart of Pluto

A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union changed Pluto’s status from planet to dwarf planet.  This caused an outrage amongst the public.  Memes were created and shared expressing Pluto’s sadness at its “demotion” from planetary status.  Textbooks had to be changed and the general public was oddly passionate over an object in space’s official title.  Nevertheless, people wereContinue reading “A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!” Continue reading

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!

What does Pluto’s blue haze originate from?

Within the past year, new theories and suggestions have been proposed as to why Pluto’s atmosphere appears to have a blue haze. Before we get into any of the results from this theory, it is important to understand how we even got here in the first place. In a recent video that we watched inContinue reading “What does Pluto’s blue haze originate from?” Continue reading

Posted in Class, Light | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What does Pluto’s blue haze originate from?

Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space

Extremophiles are organisms on Earth that thrive in extreme environment that most other organisms wouldn’t be able to survive in. They are found in places that at a glance, seem unlivable, places like inside volcanoes, or deep in the ocean under extreme pressures. So why do these extremophiles matter when thinking about space? The ideaContinue reading “Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space” Continue reading

Posted in Class, Galaxies, Moons, Stars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space