DWARF PLANETS

Nasa's Dawn spacecraft has dipped closer than ever to Ceres, capturing the most detailed images yet of the mysterious bright spots on the dwarf planet. The latest images capture two giant craters up close, called Haulani (pictured) and Oxo. They show evidence the impacts that formed them are fresh - and even show the giant landslides at the crater's rim they caused. Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3548842/The-strange-glowing-spots-Ceres-close-Researchers-reveal-craters-recent-evidence-giant-landslides.html Original Video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1284435/NASA-s-Dawn-spacecraft-reveals-amazing-close-ups-Ceres.html Daily Mail Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailymail Daily Mail IG: http://instagram.com/dailymail Daily Mail Snap: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Daily-Mail/8392137033 Daily Mail Twitter: http://twitter.com/MailOnline Daily Mail Pinterest: http://pinterest.co.uk/dailymail Daily Mail Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DailyMail/posts Get the free Daily Mail mobile app: http://dailymail.co.uk/mobile

Experts from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany think the 130 bright spots (pictured left in a false colour image and top right) detected on Ceres, may be water ice, which can even create hazy clouds.They used data obtained from the Framing Camera on board the Dawn spacecraft to make detailed observations of the surface of dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. Another study published today says Ceres may have formed in the outer Solar System (illustrated bottom right). Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3353010/Has-mystery-alien-marks-Ceres-solved-Bright-spots-dwarf-planet-s-surface-WATER-ICE.html Original Video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1235706/Nasa-movie-reveals-360-degree-view-dwarf-planet-Ceres.html Daily Mail Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailymail Daily Mail IG: http://instagram.com/dailymail Daily Mail Snap: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Daily-Mail/8392137033 Daily Mail Twitter: http://twitter.com/MailOnline Daily Mail Pinterest: http://pinterest.co.uk/dailymail Daily Mail Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DailyMail/posts Get the free Daily Mail mobile app: http://dailymail.co.uk/mobile

Experts from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany think the 130 bright spots (pictured left in a false colour image and top right) detected on Ceres, may be water ice, which can even create hazy clouds.They used data obtained from the Framing Camera on board the Dawn spacecraft to make detailed observations of the surface of dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. Another study published today says Ceres may have formed in the outer Solar System (illustrated bottom right). Original Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3353010/Has-mystery-alien-marks-Ceres-solved-Bright-spots-dwarf-planet-s-surface-WATER-ICE.html Original Video: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/sciencetech/video-1235712/Nasa-animation-offers-detailed-glimpse-surface-Ceres.html Daily Mail Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailymail Daily Mail IG: http://instagram.com/dailymail Daily Mail Snap: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Daily-Mail/8392137033 Daily Mail Twitter: http://twitter.com/MailOnline Daily Mail Pinterest: http://pinterest.co.uk/dailymail Daily Mail Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DailyMail/posts Get the free Daily Mail mobile app: http://dailymail.co.uk/mobile

My twitter: https://twitter.com/Dreksler_Astral Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System under the new definition of a planet. But what is the smallest a planet can get under the definition that was imposed? Let's see. Intro and outro footage made with Space Engine. Thanks to my real life friend for suggesting this one. Music: Clouds Huma - Huma

More than 300 bright spots have been located on the surface of Ceres. Scientists with NASA's Dawn mission say the bright material indicates the dwarf planet is an active, evolving world. More: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/bright-areas-on-ceres-suggest-geologic-activity

My twitter: https://twitter.com/Dreksler_Astral Eris, the most massive dwarf planet and the second most distant object in the Solar System. So what would standing on this distant and unexplored object be like? Let's see. Intro and outro footage made with Space Engine. Music: DL-Sounds - Mercury

If we consider dwarf planets as planets, than there are over 200 planets right now in the Solar System. My twitter, i am more communicative there: https://twitter.com/Dreksler_Astral Intro and outro footage made with Space Engine. Music: At the Foot of the Sphinx by Twin Musicom twinmusicom.org

NASA says there may have been a global ocean on Ceres in the past.

Space Engine is back! This time I explore our favourite dwarf planet Pluto, and it's moon Charon. Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the video, give it a "Like!" If you'd like to see more, be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an upload! More Space Engine: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcjbKmjZtqeQxbl1nP3oMUUqzS074Dy64 Rainbow Six Siege: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcjbKmjZtqeRkfu9XOSn9vq4yk2fhMSfH Music Epic Cinematic Inspirational Trailer Music - Dreamland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXB_OzMglk4

Astronomers recently discovered a ring around the dwarf planet Haumea.

There are regions in Pluto where huge ice structures exist. Scientists finally think they know how they are formed. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/sai FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/techinsider TWITTER: https://twitter.com/techinsider INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tech_insider/

NASA’s New Horizons mission revolutionized our knowledge of Pluto when it flew past that distant world in July 2015. Among its many discoveries were images of strange formations resembling giant blades of ice, whose origin had remained a mystery. Now, scientists have turned up a fascinating explanation for this “bladed terrain”: the structures are made almost entirely of methane ice, and likely formed as a specific kind of erosion wore away their surfaces, leaving dramatic crests and sharp divides. More info: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/solving-the-mystery-of-pluto-s-giant-blades-of-ice Video credit: NASA's Ames Research Center NASA's Ames Research Center is located in California's Silicon Valley. Follow us on social media to hear about the latest developments in space, science and technology. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nasaames/ Twitter https://twitter.com/NASAAmes Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nasaames/

Occator Crater on Ceres is home to the brightest area on the entire dwarf planet. At 57 miles (92 kilometers) wide and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, Occator displays evidence of recent geologic activity. NASA's Dawn mission found that the bright spots may have been produced by upwelling of salt-rich liquids after the impact that formed the crater. Pan and zoom as you fly over the crater with Dawn in this 360-degree animation made with observations from the spacecraft. Important note: Not all browsers support viewing 360 videos/images. YouTube supports uploading and playback of 360 degree videos/images on computers using Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers. For science results about the bright spots, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/2syfJgB More information about Dawn is available at: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.nasa.gov/dawn Visualization: DLR Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

Here's what it'd like to fly over Pluto's largest moon Charon.

On July 14, 2015, New Horizons flew by Pluto. Scientists have used the data from the mission so far to uncover active geology, an enormous canyon, a unique case of chemical coloration, and more. What else might we discover as we venture deeper into the Kuiper Belt? Want more on Charon? Check out NASA's brand-new flyover video!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Q7O7TZ7Ks&spfreload=5 Hosted by: Caitlin Hofmeister ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ----------Alexander Wadsworth, Kevin Bealer, Mark Terrio-Cameron, KatieMarie Magnone, Patrick Merrithew, Charles Southerland, Fatima Iqbal, Sultan Alkhulaifi, Tim Curwick, Scott Satovsky Jr, Philippe von Bergen, Bella Nash, Chris Peters, Patrick D. Ashmore, Piya Shedden, Charles George ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/350/6258/aad1815 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6279/aad8866 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6279/aad9189 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6279/1284 https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7627/full/nature19340.html http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20151001 https://www.nasa.gov/feature/pluto-s-heart-like-a-cosmic-lava-lamp https://www.nasa.gov/feature/possible-ice-volcano-on-pluto-has-the-wright-stuff http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2015/0722-what-in-the-worlds-are-tholins.html https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-pluto-58.html https://www.nasa.gov/feature/a-super-grand-canyon-on-pluto-s-moon-charon Images: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/pluto-20100204.html https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15-011a-NewHorizons-PlutoFlyby-ArtistConcept-14July2015-20150115.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pluto_by_LORRI_and_Ralph,_13_July_2015.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/pluto-s-wright-mons-in-color https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pluto-FlyoverAnimation-20150918.webm https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_hazes_over_backlit_Pluto.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Encounter_01_lg.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charon-Neutral-Bright-Release.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/feature/a-super-grand-canyon-on-pluto-s-moon-charon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NH-Charon-Day1-TenImages-20150714-20151120.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charonsinre.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pluto-Charon-v2-10-1-15.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AfterPluto3.gif https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nh-pluto_moons_family_portrait-truecolor.png

Learn all about the dwarf planet Orcus with this funky yet mellow groove. Orcus is a pretty mysterious dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt...we don't know that much about Orcus the dwarf planet yet, but what we do know, we put into a song for your enjoyment. Hope you like it! Lyrics: Orcus, the dwarf planet We don't really know that much about you yet The Kuiper Belt is where you're found Yet another dwarf discovered by Michael Brown Orcus, the dwarf planet We don't really know that much about you yet You're a trans-Neptunian plutino And here's a couple more things that we know Are you talkin' about orcas? Like killer whales? No, Orcus the dwarf planet! 90482 No it's not a ZIP code, it's the number that they gave you (Orcas) First spotted by the Palomar Observatory Just some background in case you haven't heard the story Michael Brown, Chad Trujillo And David Rabinowitz were like the Three Amigos They discovered this plutino in 2004 They named it Orcus after Etruscan folklore He was the god of the underworld, a bad dude Judging by his face, he was always in a bad mood But anyway, Orcus has one moon Called Vanth for the goddess of death (Sounds like fun, too) It's a plutino, that means it's bound By the gravity of Neptune as they both go around the Sun And Orcus takes a long time to make the trip 247 years (Really?) Legit! At over 600 miles across Orcus orbits the Sun like a Kuiper Belt boss! Orcus, the dwarf planet We don't really know that much about you yet The Kuiper Belt is where you're found Yet another dwarf discovered by Michael Brown Orcus, the dwarf planet We don't really know that much about you yet You're a trans-Neptunian plutino And that's pretty much what we know Copyright 2017 Silly School Songs. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Sailko http://www.nasa.gov/ (as always)

The Dawn spacecraft has been exploring the two largest objects in the asteroid belt since 2007, and here's what we've learned so far! ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters—Kevin Bealer, Mark Terrio-Cameron, KatieMarie Magnone, Patrick Merrithew, Charles Southerland, Fatima Iqbal, Sultan Alkhulaifi, Tim Curwick, Scott Satovsky Jr, Philippe von Bergen, Bella Nash, Chris Peters, Patrick D. Ashmore, Piya Shedden, Charles George ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: https://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ https://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/fs21grc.html http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aa66cd/meta http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6326/719 http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/10091306-what-did-dawn-learn-at-vesta.html https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1997/97-191.txt https://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/timeline_trajectory.html http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6326/706.1 https://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_11_28_16 https://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/pdfs/Dawn_Vesta_Ceres_Lithograph.pdf Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dawn_Flight_Configuration_2.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dawn_ignition.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceres-Vesta-Pluto-and-Moon-size-fr.png https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vesta_in_natural_color.jpg https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/blog/2014/3/so-close-yet-so-far-away-dawns-trajectory-explained https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vesta-HST-Color.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rheasilvia_and_older_basin,_Vesta.jpg https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15510 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MillbillillieMeteorite.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatahouine_Diogenite_72g.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howardite_QUE94200.gif https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA20183-Ceres-MapOfBrightSpots-20151210.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA20358-Ceres-DwarfPlanet-HaulaniCrater-CloseupColor-20160419.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/dawn-discovers-evidence-for-organic-material-on-ceres

See all the planets, plus mission updates from comet and asteroid missions Dawn and Rosetta. The Dawn mission is on its way to orbit the dwarf planet Ceres in 2015. Recently, observations by the Herschel Space Observatory found that Ceres has a thin water vapor atmosphere and is spewing jets of water out into space.

NASA's Dawn mission will be the first to explore a dwarf planet on March 6, 2015. This video details the spacecraft's approach and orbit insertion.

This animation, made using data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft, shows the topography of Occator crater on Ceres. Vertical relief has been stretched by a factor of 1.5 to better illustrate the crater's topography. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI See more Dawn images at http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images.

This Eris song is a fun way for kids to learn about the dwarf planet Eris. This song is full of facts about Eris, the tenth planet in our Solar System. For more info and music, visit http://sillyschoolsongs.com. Lyrics: Eris you're a dwarf Named for the Greek goddess of discord Discovered in 2005 You're heavier than Pluto (but a little smaller in size!) 10th planet from the Sun Your moon is Dysnomia Your name is Eris (Number 2 dwarf in size, first in mass so it's really alright) Beyond the Kuiper Belt Where the Sun's barely felt Your name is Eris (You have a super-cold surface, -231 degrees Celsius) Eris your orbit's long 560 years to go around When you get closer to the Sun Your frozen atmosphere begins to thaw The place where you live Is called the Scattered Disk Your name is Eris (Yeah, you make your home where the icy minor planets roam) You're smaller than Earth's moon You're called a Trans-Neptunian OBJECT! (Or a TNO, with an orbit that's farther than Neptune's, yo!) Scientists think that you're made of rock You're hanging out in the most distant spot All the asteroids in the Kuiper Belt Could fit inside your dwarf planet self You're super-cold all night and day Because you're 8 billion miles away from the Sun Yeah Eris, you're the one And it's been fun Copyright 2017 Silly School Songs. All rights reserved. Image Credits: Google Images

NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto was a success just in time for the international establishment to demote to a dwarf planet. According to CNEt, The new Horizons team is determined to have pluto reclassified. Kirby Runyon thinks that the word "planet" holds a psychological weight. "I want the public to fall in love with planetary exploration as I have," Runyon said. "It drives home the point of continued exploration." Even if a better process for defining a planet could encourage new research and exploration it's impossible to make everyone happ. the debate will continue to rage on so long as Pluto remains a martyr to the process. https://www.cnet.com/news/pluto-planet-new-horizons-alan-stern-iau-carolyn-porco/#ftag=CAD590a51e http://www.wochit.com This video was produced by YT Wochit News using http://wochit.com

The ESA is working on a 'fresh-squeezed' spacecraft that will explore Jupiter's moons, and the New Horizons team makes a case for Pluto (and many others)! ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters—we couldn't make SciShow without them! Shoutout to Kevin Bealer, Mark Terrio-Cameron, KatieMarie Magnone, Patrick Merrithew, Charles Southerland, Fatima Iqbal, Benny, Kyle Anderson, Tim Curwick, Scott Satovsky Jr, Will and Sonja Marple, Philippe von Bergen, Bella Nash, Bryce Daifuku, Chris Peters, Patrick D. Ashmore, Charles George, Bader AlGhamdi ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ESA_s_Jupiter_mission_moves_off_the_drawing_board http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/outerplanets/giantplanets_magnetospheres.php https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/overview/index.html http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2017/pdf/1448.pdf http://www.space.com/35789-pluto-planethood-debate-planet-definition.html https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/ Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NH-Pluto-color-NewHorizons-20150713-full.png https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pioneer_10_at_Jupiter.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iotorus.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jupiter_radio.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA01627_Ringe.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1560.html https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganymede_g1_true-edit1.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganymede_diagram.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15-011a-NewHorizons-PlutoFlyby-ArtistConcept-14July2015-20150115.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA19562-Ceres-DwarfPlanet-Dawn-RC3-image19-20150506.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NH-PlutoCharon-Color-NewHorizons-20150711.jpg

Full podcast episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter What has New Horizons taught us about Pluto so far? What’s going on under the ice? Why does the “heart” of Pluto still beat? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! Learn about the Iceland excursion: http://www.AstroTouring.com Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/PaulMattSutter Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE! Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Mathieu B., Justin G., Tim F., Helge B., Alan M., Tim R., Ray S., Michael C., Bill S., Lars H., David C., Silvan W., David B., Kevin O., Justin R., Jessica K., James L., and Michael Z.! Music by Jason Grady and Nick Bain. Thanks to WCBE Radio for hosting the recording session, Greg Mobius for producing, and Cathy Rinella for editing. Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, Chief Scientist at COSI Science Center, and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).

The author and science communicator defends his rationale for demoting Pluto's status, saying the heavenly body had no place being designated a planet to begin with. Subscribe To "The Late Show" Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/ColbertYouTube For more content from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", click HERE: http://bit.ly/1AKISnR Watch full episodes of "The Late Show" HERE: http://bit.ly/1Puei40 Like "The Late Show" on Facebook HERE: http://on.fb.me/1df139Y Follow "The Late Show" on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1dMzZzG Follow "The Late Show" on Google+ HERE: http://bit.ly/1JlGgzw Follow "The Late Show" on Instagram HERE: http://bit.ly/29wfREj Follow "The Late Show" on Tumblr HERE: http://bit.ly/29DVvtR Watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert weeknights at 11:35 PM ET/10:35 PM CT. Only on CBS. Get the CBS app for iPhone & iPad! Click HERE: http://bit.ly/12rLxge Get new episodes of shows you love across devices the next day, stream live TV, and watch full seasons of CBS fan favorites anytime, anywhere with CBS All Access. Try it free! http://bit.ly/1OQA29B --- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the premier late night talk show on CBS, airing at 11:35pm EST, streaming online via CBS All Access, and delivered to the International Space Station on a USB drive taped to a weather balloon. Every night, viewers can expect: Comedy, humor, funny moments, witty interviews, celebrities, famous people, movie stars, bits, humorous celebrities doing bits, funny celebs, big group photos of every star from Hollywood, even the reclusive ones, plus also jokes.

Yes, the question of what makes a planet a "planet" is back in the news after a team of planetary scientists published a new paper challenging the status quo and arguing that Pluto should be a planet again. You may have thought this issue was settled back in 2006 but many problems exist with the current definition. We explain what's wrong with the current version, what this new paper proposes instead and the consequences of the change if it were to be accepted. ::More about this Video:: ► Runyon et al. (2017), "A Geophysical Planet Definition": http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2017/pdf/1448.pdf ► IAU 26th General Assembly Resolution 5A, "Definition of ‘planet' ": https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau0603/ ► Chen & Kipping (2016), "Probabilistic Forecasting of the Masses and Radii of Other Worlds": https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.08614 ► Background music by Thomas Bergersen "Final Frontier": http://www.thomasbergersen.com ::Playlists For Channel:: Latest Cool Worlds Videos ► http://bit.ly/NewCoolWorlds Cool Worlds Research ► http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsResearch Guest Videos ► http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsGuests Q&A Videos ► http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsQA Science of TV/Film ► http://bit.ly/ScienceMovies ::Follow us:: SUBSCRIBE to the channel http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsSubscribe Cool Worlds Lab http://coolworlds.astro.columbia.edu Twitter https://twitter.com/david_kipping Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cool.worlds THANKS FOR WATCHING!!

Full podcast episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter What has New Horizons taught us about Pluto so far? What’s going on under the ice? Why does the “heart” of Pluto still beat? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! Learn about the Iceland excursion: http://www.AstroTouring.com Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PaulMattSutter Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/PaulMattSutter Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE! Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Mathieu B., Justin G., Tim F., Helge B., Alan M., Tim R., Ray S., Michael C., Bill S., Lars H., David C., Silvan W., David B., Kevin O., Justin R., Jessica K., James L., and Michael Z.! Music by Jason Grady and Nick Bain. Thanks to WCBE Radio for hosting the recording session, Greg Mobius for producing, and Cathy Rinella for editing. Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, Chief Scientist at COSI Science Center, and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).

This proposed new definition of "planets" would bring back Pluto, but would also reclassify over a hundred other celestial bodies -- including our moon! Do You Know What Color Pluto Really Is? - https://youtu.be/8beVI8wdkZg Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here - http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI Read More: Behind the Push to Get Pluto Its Planetary Groove Back http://www.seeker.com/behind-the-push-to-get-pluto-its-planetary-groove-back-2290287200.html "Pluto's loss of planetary status in 2006 remains controversial. Now a new definition is being proposed that would restore Pluto while increasing the number of "planets" in our solar system to over 110." NASA Scientists Have Proposed a New Definition of Planets, and Pluto Could Soon Be Back http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-scientists-have-proposed-a-new-definition-for-planets-and-it-could-change-everything "The key change the team is hoping to get approved is that cosmic bodies in our Solar System no longer need to be orbiting the Sun to be considered planets - they say we should be looking at their intrinsic physical properties, not their interactions with stars." Should Pluto Be a Planet After All? Experts Weigh In http://www.space.com/9553-pluto-planet-experts-weigh.html "Pluto was demoted to a newly created category, "dwarf planet," in 2006, partly because of the discovery a year earlier of Eris, another icy body from Pluto's neighborhood. Eris was thought to be bigger than Pluto until Nov. 6, when astronomers got a chance to recalculate Eris' size." ____________________ Seeker inspires us to see the world through the lens of science and evokes a sense of curiosity, optimism and adventure. Watch more Seeker on our website http://www.seeker.com/shows/ Seeker on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerMedia/ Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/tracedominguez Seeker http://www.seeker.com/ Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here: http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI

Stream Episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com or www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (both mobile friendly) *Organic material discovered on Ceres Evidence of organic material has been found on the dwarf planet Ceres. A report in the journal science claims the detection by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft adds to a growing list of solar system bodies found to contain organic materials which are key building blocks for life as we know it. *NASA's Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase A mission to examine the habitability of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moon Europa is taking one step closer to the launch pad, with the completion of a major NASA review. The Europa mission spacecraft would launch in the 2020's, arriving in the Jupiter system several years later. *How to stop when we reach Alpha Centauri Scientists have worked out a way to slowdown and stop once spacecraft finally reach our nearest interstellar neighbour Alpha Centauri. In April last year, Russian physicist and billionaire Yuri Milner together with British scientist Steven Hawking announced the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative to fly a swarm of tiny spacecraft to the Alpha Centauri star system -- 4.37 light years away -- with in our lifetimes. *Ariane 5’s first launch this year The first Ariane 5 launch for 2017 has successfully blasted into orbit carrying two new telecommunications satellites. Arianespace flight VA235 launched from the European Space Agency’s Kourou spaceport in French Guiana into cloudy skies. For Enhanced Show Notes, including photos to accompany this episode: http://www.bitesz.com/spacetime-show-notes Subscribe, rate and review SpaceTime at all good podcasting apps…including iTunes, audioBoom, Stitcher, Pocketcasts, Podbean, Radio Public, Tunein Radio, google play, etc. RSS feed: https://audioboom.com/channels/4642443.rss NEW: The SpaceTime with Stuart Gary merchandise shop. Get your T-Shirts, Coffee Cups, badges, tote bag + more and help support the show. Check out the range: http://www.cafepress.com/spacetime Thank you. NEW: Help support SpaceTime and get a free audio book of your choice, plus 30 days free access from audible.com. Just visit www.audibletrial.com/spacetime or click on the banner link at www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com Email: [email protected] Join our mailing list at http://www.bitesz.com/join-our-mailing-list For more, follow SpaceTime on Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+ and Clammr: Facebook: @spacetimewithstuartgary twitter: @stuartgary Tumblr: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/ Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/2/collection/cabtNB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhpBkuHSLfIRnliLB12HoC1QE0rwr8qRS Clammr: http://www.clammr.com/app/spacetime If you're enjoying SpaceTime, please help out by sharing and telling your friends. The best recommendation I can get is one from you. Thank you... #astronomy #space #science #technology #news #astrophysics #NASA

So what is the actual distance of a newly discovered dwarf planet Sedna from the sun. I give a perspective on how distant it actually is. Music: Kevin MacLeod - Ossuary 5 - Rest

Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet in August 2006. A proposed change to the definition of "planet" could return it to its former status. Learn more about this story at www.newsy.com/67233/ Find more videos like this at www.newsy.com Follow Newsy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/newsyvideos Follow Newsy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsyvideos

Pluto turns out to be far more weird than anyone ever expected, with all kinds of unexplained phenomena on the surface.We sought out some of Europe’s finest ice planet experts to find out more:Pluto has been a mystery since it was discovered in 1930. First called a planet, then re-classified as a dwarf planet in 2006, the more we learn, the more it captures the imagination of scientists like ESA’s Elliot Sefton-Nash. This video is also available in the following languages: Portuguese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzLxNiAoZv4&index=1&list=PL8ACC64B7263F23D6 Italian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOadNmKhHk&list=PLB317954F2C5A41A6&index=1 Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXPOhu2HY80&list=PLFAF2DBA3AB88EBF3&index=1 German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt0ODtMy8eE&list=PLEC78BF163B8BCFCC&index=1 French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0UcczNpWk4&index=1&list=PL72038BFF4E44B223 Hungarian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17c4DC1OSs&index=1&list=PLbyvawxScNbvqQlXRzE3vVCWZ0QIBGLx2 Greek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbAcNrjna1s&list=PLbyvawxScNbvl1OibZvkrUAl-Z_WdgRLd&index=1

This discovery means the nearby planet has the building blocks for life, and they most likely, came from within the planet itself. Everything You Need To Know About Galactic Ice Volcanoes! - https://youtu.be/12xdJSozihE Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here - http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI Read More: Organic Material Discovery Suggests Life Could Exist on Dwarf Planet Ceres http://www.seeker.com/organics-found-on-dwarf-planet-ceres-2266073354.html NASA's Dawn mission has detected tar-like organic compounds on the dwarf planet's surface, bolstering prospects for life on the largest body in the asteroid belt. Scientists study geology of Ceres to understand origin of organics https://phys.org/news/2017-02-scientists-geology-ceres.html "NASA's Dawn spacecraft recently detected organic-rich areas on Ceres. Scientists evaluated the geology of the regions to conclude that the organics are most likely native to the dwarf planet. Data from the spacecraft suggest that the interior of Ceres is the source of these organic materials, as opposed to arriving via impacting asteroids or comets, according to a paper published in the Feb. 17, 2017, issue of Science." Ceres hosts organic compounds, and they formed on the asteroid, not beyond https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-02/aaft-cho021317.php "Aliphatic organic compounds - carbon-based building blocks that may have a role in the chemistry that creates life - have been detected for the first time on Ceres, an asteroid and dwarf planet, a new study reveals." Astronomers discover complex organic matter exists throughout the universe https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143721.htm "Researchers from Hong Kong report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. They indicate that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic and aliphatic components." ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos daily. Watch More DNews on Seeker http://www.seeker.com/show/dnews/ Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/tracedominguez DNews on Facebook https://facebook.com/DiscoveryNews DNews on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+dnews Seeker http://www.seeker.com/ Sign Up For The Seeker Newsletter Here: http://bit.ly/1UO1PxI Special thanks to Jules Suzdaltsev for hosting DNews! Check Jules out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jules_su Written by: Andrea Bloom

The category of dwarf planets was created in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union to help contain new objects that were being discovered. Although there are hundreds of objects in the solar system that could potentially be classified as dwarf planets, as of 2017 there are only five officially recognized ones: Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake. Unlike planets, dwarf planets have not cleared their orbits of objects and debris. Like this video if you want to see more videos about SPACE! Subscribe to FreeSchool: https://www.youtube.com/user/watchfreeschool?sub_confirmation=1 Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watchFreeSchool Check our our companion channel, FreeSchool Mom! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcEtHRQhqiCZIIb77LyDmA And our NEW channel for little ones, FreeSchool Early Birds! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3OV62x86XHwaqsxLsuy8dA

Published on Dec 15, 2016 This video shows the intriguing Occator Crater on Ceres, home to the dwarf planet's brightest area. It may have been produced by upwelling of salt-rich liquids after the impact that formed the crater. The animated flyover includes topographic and enhanced-color views of the crater, highlighting the central dome feature. The animation was produced by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Original music by Stefan Elgner, DLR. For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov . Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

This video shows the intriguing Occator Crater on Ceres, home to the dwarf planet's brightest area. It may have been produced by upwelling of salt-rich liquids after the impact that formed the crater. The animated flyover includes topographic and enhanced-color views of the crater, highlighting the central dome feature. The animation was produced by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Original music by Stefan Elgner, DLR. For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov . Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

NASA released new images of Ceres taken by its Dawn spacecraft during its fifth orbit of the dwarf planet

NASA's Dawn craft is sending back amazing picture of dwarf planet, Ceres, Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) has them for you. Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/buzz60 Buzz60 is designed for the way we live now. Short, quirky video snacks that are a little sassy, and always smart. Buzz 60 -- and the Buzz60 channel on YouTube - produces all kinds of news video clips for web viewers who want more than just repurposed content. Our team is a diverse group of video journalists with dozens of Emmy awards, an authentic sense of humor, and a mandate to connect with viewers every day. Like us Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buzz60 Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Buzz60 Add us to your Circle on Google+: http://bit.ly/12nIt6n

Back in 2014, an international team of astronomers was taking pictures of distant galaxies, when they noticed a dot moving across their images. Could it be Planet Nine? Hosted by: Caitlin Hofmeister ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters -- we couldn't make SciShow without them! Shout out to Bryce Daifuku, Kevin Bealer, Justin Lentz, Mark Terrio-Cameron, Patrick Merrithew, Accalia Elementia, Fatima Iqbal, Benny, Kyle Anderson, Mike Frayn, Tim Curwick, Will and Sonja Marple, Philippe von Bergen, Chris Peters, Kathy Philip, Patrick D. Ashmore, Thomas J., Charles George, Bader AlGhamdi. ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: CITATIONS http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Egerdes/2014_UZ224.html http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=✓&object_id=2014+UZ224 http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Egerdes/2014_UZ224.html http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf/sats, http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6509 http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf/sats , http://www.universetoday.com/72717/what-is-a-dwarf-planet/ More sources: http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=✓&object_id=2014+UZ224, http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/2014-uz224-vies-kuiper-belt-distance-record/ Deep Fields calculation based on: Angular area of the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field was about 4.6 square arcminutes (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/37/fastfacts/, assuming that I can just treat the “Distance” stats more or less like the sides of a rectangle); Angular area of a sphere is 148,510,660 square arcminutes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minute_and_second_of_arc); Hubble eXtreme Deep Field was a 2-million-second exposure (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/37/fastfacts/). Putting that all together gives about two million years for the whole sky (http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=(148510660)%2F(4.6)*(2+million+seconds)+in+years ) The research paper: http://hubblesite.org/pubinfo/pdf/2016/39/pdf.pdf , http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-637X/830/2/83/pdf, https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.03909 (all the same paper) Other source: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2016/39/full/, http://www.darkenergysurvey.org http://www.stsci.edu/science/goods/

The planet, known as 2014 UZ224, is about 8.5 billion miles from the sun. Learn more about this story at www.newsy.com/64140/ Find more videos like this at www.newsy.com Follow Newsy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/newsyvideos Follow Newsy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsyvideos

A new study reveals some fascinating insights into an ice volcano on the dwarf planet Ceres. A new study reveals some fascinating insights into an icy volcano on the dwarf planet Ceres.  Ahuna Mons is about 13,000 feet tall and 11 miles wide which is particularly impressive given that the entire planet is “less than 600 miles wide.”  As an Arizona State University news release reports, the mountain is considered to be the result of cryovolcanism where the “volcanic dome [was] built from repeated eruptions of freezing salty water.”  The mountain is also estimated to be relatively young, with one of the paper’s authors explaining that it only has “a few craters on its surface, which points to an age of just couple hundred million years at most.”  As the release states, “the implications of Ahuna Mons being volcanic in origin are enormous.”  While the dwarf planet’s surface temperatures are considerably below freezing on average, “its interior has kept warm enough for liquid water or brines to exist for a relatively long period [which]...has allowed volcanic activity...”  Researchers plan to continue studying the area “to better understand the interior structure of Ceres.”

In what could be the best evidence for an ice volcano anywhere in our solar system, NASA's Dawn team has gathered data on what appears to be a cryvolcanic formation named Ahuna Mons. Animations: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

New analysis of data from the Dawn space probe shows Ceres is more geologically active than once believed. Learn more about this story at www.newsy.com/63109/ Find more videos like this at www.newsy.com Follow Newsy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/newsyvideos Follow Newsy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsyvideos

Analysis of images from NASA's Dawn mission reveals that dwarf planet Ceres hosts an unexpectedly young cryovolcano that formed with the past billion years. Read the full NASA.gov story here: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/ceres-cryo-volcano Read the full paper in Science here: [link] For more Ceres images and animations, visit the JPL Photojournal: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/keywords/dp?subselect=Target%3ACeres%3A Music credits: "Farewell to the King" by Richard Friedman [ASCAP]; Jefandyo Music SESAC; Killer Tracks Production Music "Out of Control" by Amanda Leigh Wilson [PRS] and Stephen William Cornish [PRS]; Atmosphere Music Ltd PRS; Killer Tracks Production Music "Seven Sitars" by Chris Constantinou [PRS] and Paul Frazer [PRS]; Killer Tracks BMI; Killer Tracks Production Music Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Katrina Jackson This video is public domain and along with other supporting visualizations can be downloaded from the Scientific Visualization Studio at: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12346 If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Goddard YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/NASAExplorer Or subscribe to NASA’s Goddard Shorts HD Podcast: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/iTunes/f0004_index.html Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center · Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASA.GSFC · Twitter http://twitter.com/NASAGoddard · Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/ · Instagram http://www.instagram.com/nasagoddard/ · Google+ http://plus.google.com/+NASAGoddard/posts

Filmed April 2016 For the last 11 years of his life, Percival Lowell searched for a theoretical ninth planet, “Planet X”, that he believed existed beyond Neptune. Lowell was unsuccessful in this effort but inspired Clyde Tombaugh’s later search program – at Lowell’s observatory – that culminated with the discovery of Pluto in 1930. This breakthrough enlarged the family of planets in our solar system, brought scientific credibility to Lowell Observatory, and helped spark the public’s excitement about space during the otherwise gloomy days of the Great Depression. Who is Kevin Schindler? KEVIN SCHINDLER has worked at Lowell Observatory for twenty years, managing the observatory’s outreach program for much of that time. He now serves as Lowell’s historian, documenting the observatory’s remarkable history. He also serves as Sheriff of the Flagstaff Corral of Westerners, an international organization devoted to western American history, and writes an astronomy column, ‘The View from Mars Hill’, for the Arizona Daily Sun. Who is W. Lowell Putnam IV? W. LOWELL PUTNAM is the Great-grandnephew of Percival Lowell and the Sole Trustee of the Lowell Observatory.Putnam is the fifth trustee of the observatory since Percival Lowell’s death in 1916: Guy Lowell (1916-1927; Percival Lowell’s third cousin) Roger Putnam (1927-1967; Percival Lowell’s nephew) Michael Putnam (1967-1987; Roger Putnam’s son) William Lowell (Bill) Putnam, III (1987-2013; Michael Putnam’s brother) W. Lowell (Lowell) Putnam, IV (2013- ; Bill Putnam’s son) NEAF Talks brings you the best from the annual NEAF Astronomy & Space conference which is held just outside of New York City at the RCC campus of the State University of New York. The Northeast Astronomy Forum is in its 25th year and is a world renowned symposium which annually searches the globe for the most relevant personalities who are making space, science and astronomy history today. Now through NEAF Talks online, these outstanding lectures are available to classrooms, universities, professionals and the world- free of charge. Visit RocklandAstronomy.com\NEAF for more information or to learn how to see NEAF live. NEAF Talks- supporting science and astronomy education for a quarter century, now free to the world via the web. Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Northeast-Astronomy-Forum-Space-Expo-504029046447061/

Filmed April 2016 The 2006 vote on the planetary status of Pluto has had a long-lasting reverberation throughout astronomy. With an outcome that remains controversial both in the public eye and within the professional community, the debate on what to call this world remains a lively one. His own accidental involvement in this question has its own tall tale, which he will recount along the way to re-examining a question: What is a planet, and why do we care? Who is Gerard van Belle? DR. GERARD VAN BELLE was with the European Southern Observatory in Germany and Chile from 2007 until July 2011, working as the Instrument Scientist for the PRIMA and MATISSE instruments for the VLTI interferometer. In August of 2011, he moved back to the United States as an Astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ, where he is working on the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer. Gerard began working on arrays of optical telescopes (“interferometers”) with graduate work at U. Wyoming in the mid 1990’s, working with Mel Dyck on the IOTA interferometer on Mt. Hopkins, AZ, collaborating with colleagues from lesser-known institutions such as Harvard and U. Massachusetts. Upon completion of his Ph.D. at U. of Wyoming in 1996, he joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an instrument architect for the Keck Interferometer, expanding his portfolio to include work with the largest telescopes in the world. NEAF Talks brings you the best from the annual NEAF Astronomy & Space conference which is held just outside of New York City at the RCC campus of the State University of New York. The Northeast Astronomy Forum is in its 25th year and is a world renowned symposium which annually searches the globe for the most relevant personalities who are making space, science and astronomy history today. Now through NEAF Talks online, these outstanding lectures are available to classrooms, universities, professionals and the world- free of charge. Visit RocklandAstronomy.com\NEAF for more information or to learn how to see NEAF live. NEAF Talks- supporting science and astronomy education for a quarter century, now free to the world via the web. Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Northeast-Astronomy-Forum-Space-Expo-504029046447061/

What is DWARF PLANET? What does DWARF PLANET mean? DWARF PLANET meaning & explanation. A dwarf planet is a planetary-mass object that is neither a planet nor a natural satellite. That is, it is in direct orbit of the Sun, and is massive enough for its gravity to crush itself into a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (usually a spheroid), but has not cleared the neighborhood of other material around its orbit. The term dwarf planet was adopted in 2006 as part of a three-way categorization of bodies orbiting the Sun, brought about by an increase in discoveries of objects farther away from the Sun than Neptune that rivaled Pluto in size, and finally precipitated by the discovery of an even more massive object, Eris. The exclusion of dwarf planets from the roster of planets by the IAU has been both praised and criticized; it was said to be the "right decision" by astronomer Mike Brown, who discovered Eris and other new dwarf planets, but has been rejected by Alan Stern, who had coined the term dwarf planet in April 1991. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) currently recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Brown criticizes this official recognition: "A reasonable person might think that this means that there are five known objects in the solar system which fit the IAU definition of dwarf planet, but this reasonable person would be nowhere close to correct." It is suspected that another hundred or so known objects in the Solar System are dwarf planets. Estimates are that up to 200 dwarf planets may be found when the entire region known as the Kuiper belt is explored, and that the number may exceed 10,000 when objects scattered outside the Kuiper belt are considered. Individual astronomers recognize several of these, and in August 2011 Mike Brown published a list of 390 candidate objects, ranging from "nearly certain" to "possible" dwarf planets. Brown currently identifies eleven known objects—the five accepted by the IAU plus 2007 OR10, Quaoar, Sedna, Orcus, (307261) 2002 MS4 and Salacia—as "virtually certain", with another dozen highly likely. Stern states that there are more than a dozen known dwarf planets. However, only two of these bodies, Ceres and Pluto, have been observed in enough detail to demonstrate that they actually fit the IAU's definition. The IAU accepted Eris as a dwarf planet because it is more massive than Pluto. They subsequently decided that unnamed trans-Neptunian objects with an absolute magnitude brighter than +1 (and hence a diameter of ?838 km assuming a geometric albedo of ?1) are to be named under the assumption that they are dwarf planets. The only two such objects known at the time, Makemake and Haumea, went through this naming procedure and were declared to be dwarf planets. The question of whether other likely objects are dwarf planets has never been addressed by the IAU. The classification of bodies in other planetary systems with the characteristics of dwarf planets has not been addressed.

Scientists have made a puzzling discovery while studying the surface of dwarf planet Ceres: large craters thought to have formed on Ceres billions of years ago are nowhere to be found. WSJ's Monika Auger reports. Photo: SwRI/Simone Marchi Subscribe to the WSJ channel here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com Follow WSJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wsjvideo Follow WSJ on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+wsj/posts Follow WSJ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJvideo Follow WSJ on Instagram: http://instagram.com/wsj Follow WSJ on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wsj/

Ceres' lack of giant impact basins presents a puzzle to scientists. They expected to observe more large craters on the dwarf planet than have been found by NASA's Dawn mission. Researchers are investigating a variety of processes that might have caused the appearance of the largest basins to be softened or erased over time. For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/

It lived through the 'most violent phase of the solar system’s collision-prone past' according to the Southwest Research Institute, but imagery shows only 16 craters bigger than 62 miles (100 km) wide. Collision models show that it should have 10 to 15 craters bigger than 250 miles (400 km) wide. Credit: SwRI/NASA Dawn Mission