Plutosized

Plutosized is a neologism used to describe a body whose size is approximately that of Pluto, the dwarf planet in the outer Solar System. Pluto has a mean diameter of about 2,377 kilometers (1,477 miles). The term emphasizes scale rather than precise measurement and is used when a researcher, writer, or speaker wants to convey a Pluto-like size.

Usage of the term is more common in popular science writing, educational materials, and speculative fiction than in formal astronomical literature, which tends to specify exact diameters or radii. Plutosized can apply to planets, moons, or other objects that are roughly Pluto-sized, including hypothetical exoplanets or moons described in terms of their comparative diameter.

Etymology and variants: the word is formed from the name Pluto plus sized. Variants include Pluto-sized (with a hyphen) and Plutosized (without a hyphen), with the choice largely a matter of style or editorial convention.

See also: Pluto; dwarf planet; scale of planetary bodies; exoplanet.