kääpiöplaneetan

A kääpiöplaneetan, or dwarf planet, is a celestial body that orbits the Sun and is massive enough for its own gravity to make it round or nearly round, but has not cleared its orbital neighborhood of other objects. This definition was established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006.

Unlike planets, dwarf planets share their orbital path with other celestial bodies of comparable size. This lack of orbital dominance is a key distinction. The IAU currently recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; Pluto, which was formerly classified as a planet; Eris, located in the scattered disk beyond Neptune; Makemake, also in the Kuiper Belt; and Haumea, another Kuiper Belt object.

There are likely many more dwarf planets in our solar system awaiting discovery, particularly in the Kuiper Belt and beyond. These objects are remnants from the early formation of the solar system. Studying them provides valuable insights into the composition and evolution of our planetary system. Their study is an ongoing area of astronomical research.