Though previous ground-based observations suggested that Xena’s diameter was about 30 percent greater than Pluto, Hubble observations taken Dec. 9 and 10, 2005, showed Xena’s diameter as 1,490 miles (with an uncertainty of 60 miles). Pluto’s diameter, as measured by Hubble, is 1,422 miles.
Q. How long does it take Xena to orbit the Sun?
Q. What is the difference between Xena and Eris?
The Dwarf Planet Formerly Known as Xena Has Officially Been Named Eris, IAU Announces. PASADENA, Calif. —The International Astronomical Union (IAU) today announced that the dwarf planet known as Xena since its 2005 discovery has been named Eris, after the Greek goddess of discord.
Q. How do you explain dwarf planet to a child?
The definition of a dwarf planet is an object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to be rounded by its own gravity but is not gravitationally dominant in its orbital area and is not a moon. As of 2008, there are five recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake & Haumea.
Table of Contents
Q. How many moons are there?
Of the terrestrial (rocky) planets of the inner solar system, neither Mercury nor Venus have any moons at all, Earth has one and Mars has its two small moons….Read More.
| Planet / Dwarf Planet | Earth |
|---|---|
| Confirmed Moons | 1 |
| Provisional Moons | 0 |
| Total | 1 |
PASADENA, Calif.—The International Astronomical Union (IAU) today announced that the dwarf planet known as Xena since its 2005 discovery has been named Eris, after the Greek goddess of discord. Eris’s moon will be known as Dysnomia, the demon goddess of lawlessness and the daughter of Eris.
Q. Which is larger Pluto or the planet Xena?
Xena’s takes about 560 years to orbit the sun, and it is now very close to aphelion (the point on its orbit that is farthest from the sun). Brown next plans to use Hubble and other telescopes to study other recently discovered Kuiper Belt objects that are almost as large as Pluto and Xena.
Q. Why is the surface of Xena so bright?
Xena’s bright reflectivity is possibly due to fresh methane frost on its surface. The object may have had an atmosphere when it was closer to the sun, but as it moved to its current location farther away this atmosphere would have “frozen out,” settling on the surface as frost.
