The Dwarf Planet Quaoar

By Matthew Williams August 27, 2015
The Dwarf Planet Quaoar

Discovery and Naming:

Size, Mass and Orbit:

Composition:

At the time of its discovery, not much was known about Kuiper belt objects. However, subsequent findings about this region have led scientists to conclude that the surface of Quaoar is likely to be highly similar to those of the icy satellites of Uranus and Neptune. This includes a low albedo, which could be as low as 0.1, which may be an indication that fresh ice has disappeared from its surface.

Moon:

Classification:

Exploration:

  • Wikipedia - 5000 Quaoar

  • NASA SMD - A Cold New World

  • Chad Trujillo - Quaoar

    • Matthew Williams