Pluto Fact Sheet

plutosurface.jpg

The following Pluto fact sheet is based on

NASA's excellent planetary fact sheets

. Pluto is no longer a planet, but a dwarf planet.

Mass: 0.0125 x 10

24

kg
Volume: 0.715 x 10

10

km

3

Average radius: 1,195 km Average diameter: 2,390 km Mean density: 1.750 g/cm

3

Escape velocity: 1.2 km/s Surface gravity: 0.58 m/s

2

Natural satellites: 3 Rings? - No Semimajor axis: 5,906,380,000 km Orbit period: 90,465 days Perihelion: 4,436,820,000 km Aphelion: 7,375,930,000 km
Mean orbital velocity: 4.72 km/s Orbit inclination: 17.16° Orbit eccentricity: 0.2488 Sidereal rotation period: 153.2928 hours
Length of day: 153.2820 hours Axial tilt: 122.53° Discovery: 18 February 1930 Minimum distance from Earth: 4,284,700,000 km Maximum distance from Earth: 7,528,000,000 km Maximum apparent diameter from Earth: 0.11 arc seconds Minimum apparent diameter from Earth: 0.06 arc seconds Maximum visual magnitude: 13.65

We've written many articles about Pluto for Universe Today. Here's an article about

why Pluto isn't a planet any more

, and here's an article about

the distance to Pluto

.

If you'd like more info on Pluto, check out

Hubblesite's News Releases about Pluto

, and here's a link to

NASA's Solar System Exploration Guide to Pluto

.

We've also recorded an entire episode of Astronomy Cast just about Pluto. Listen here,

Episode 64: Pluto

.

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today, founding the website in March 1999. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast.