Historical Events tagged with "dwarf planet"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Space Exploration

New Horizons Completes Pluto Flyby

July 14th, 2015 9 years ago

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft achieved a historic flyby of Pluto, marking the first close-up analysis of the dwarf planet. Launched in 2006, New Horizons traveled over 3 billion miles to reach Pluto, offering unprecedented images and data. The mission aimed to increase understanding of Pluto's geology, atmosphere, and moons. The flyby provided insights into the icy dwarf planet's surface and its complex characteristics, igniting interest and excitement about our Solar System’s frontier.

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Space Exploration

Pluto Reclassified as Dwarf Planet

August 24th, 2006 18 years ago

In a landmark decision, the International Astronomical Union redefined what constitutes a planet, resulting in Pluto being reclassified as a dwarf planet. Held at the IAU General Assembly in Prague, this change stemmed from a growing body of astronomical evidence and debate concerning the characteristics of celestial bodies in our solar system. The decision sparked discussions among astronomers, educators, and the public regarding Pluto's place in our cosmic neighborhood.

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Space Exploration

Discovery Images of Dwarf Planet Eris Captured

October 21st, 2005 19 years ago

Images of the dwarf planet Eris were successfully taken using the powerful CCD camera of the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory. These images revealed a distant celestial body located in the scattered disc region of the solar system, which is beyond Neptune. The discovery of Eris, initially designated 2003 UB313, has implications for our understanding of celestial bodies in the outer solar system. Observational studies began in 2003, but the confirmed imaging occurred in 2005, leading to its recognition as a significant trans-Neptunian object.

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Space Exploration

Astronomers Reveal Dwarf Planet Eris Discovery

July 29th, 2005 19 years ago

Astronomers announced the discovery of a new dwarf planet named Eris, located in the scattered disc region of the solar system. Discovered by a team led by Mike Brown at the Palomar Observatory in California, Eris is slightly smaller than Pluto but has more mass. The discovery has significant implications for the classification of celestial bodies and the understanding of the outer solar system, as Eris was found to be a part of the same group that includes other trans-Neptunian objects.

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Space Exploration

Discovery of Dwarf Planet Eris

January 5th, 2005 20 years ago

Astronomers at Palomar Observatory discovered Eris, a dwarf planet in the outer solar system. Located beyond Pluto, Eris is noteworthy for being one of the largest known dwarf planets and contributed to the debate on what constitutes a planet. Its discovery sparked a reevaluation of planetary definitions by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

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Space Exploration

Proposal of 'Pluto' as a Dwarf Planet Name

May 1st, 1930 94 years ago

Vesto Slipher of Lowell Observatory proposed 'Pluto' as the name for a newly discovered dwarf planet in the 1930 Lowell Observatory Observation Circular. The proposition caught public attention, becoming widely adopted in astronomy and popular culture. The choice honored the Roman god of the underworld, reinforcing the mysterious nature of this distant celestial body. The name 'Pluto' was suggested after a poll among the staff at Lowell Observatory, which resonated with both scientific and mythological significance.

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