Project about Pluto for Planetary Geology 2010 I updated some information and pictures on this powerpoint on 10/16/12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q

1. PLUTO
The Dwarf Planet
By: Jonathan Davila
Jorge Rodriguez
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2. Pluto Facts Formerly the smallest planet in the
Solar System. In August 2006 the
International Astronomical Union
redefined the term 'planet'. Now Pluto
is classified as a dwarf planet.
Pluto is a small rocky object that lies at
the edge of our solar system. The
planet is so far out, it takes light from
the sun about 5 and a half hours to
reach Pluto in contrast to the 8
minutes it takes to reach Earth.
Its orbit of about 248 years sometimes
takes it inside Neptune’s orbit. Pluto is
so cold that nitrogen and oxygen,
which we breathe so easily on Earth,
become frozen solid.
Pluto is only about two-thirds the size
of our moon and recently was the
biggest known object in the Kuiper Belt
(an asteroid zone).
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3. Location
Pluto was the ninth planet in the solar system. The orbit the planet
takes around our Sun is an ellipse. There are times when Pluto is
the furthest away from the Sun.
There are also times when it is closer to the Sun than Neptune. Pluto
is a very long way from the Sun. Its average distance from the Sun is
over 3.5 billion miles.
The closest Pluto gets to the Sun is over 2.7 billion (2,700,000,000)
miles, and the furthest away it gets is over 4.5 billion (4,500,000,000)
miles.
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4. How Pluto Got It’s Name?
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by
astronomer Clyde Tom Baugh.
Mr. Tom Baugh spent a long time
taking photographs of the sky where
the unknown planet should be and
finally discovered Pluto in one of the
photographs.
Pluto is the Roman god of darkness
and the underworld. Perhaps Pluto got
its name because it is in darkness.
It may have also gotten its name from
the fact that its symbol "PL" are the
initials of Percival Lowell, who
founded the observatory where Mr.
Tom Baugh worked.
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5. Missions to Pluto
 New Horizons is a NASA
robotic spacecraft mission
currently on route to the
dwarf planet Pluto.
 Expected to be the first
spacecraft to fly by and
study Pluto and its moons,
Charon, Nix, and Hydra.
 Flyby date: 7/14/2015
 Launched: 01/19/2006
A Simulated view of New
Horizons passing Pluto and
Charon when it arrives in 2015.

6. Mission Objectives
 Secondary objectives (expected)
 Primary objectives (required)
 Characterize the time variability of
 Characterize the global geology Pluto's surface and atmosphere
and morphology of Pluto and  Map the terminators (day/night
Charon border) of Pluto and Charon with
high resolution
 Map chemical compositions of
Pluto and Charon surfaces  Map the chemical compositions of
select Pluto and Charon areas with
 Characterize the neutral high resolution
atmosphere of Pluto and its  Characterize Pluto's ionosphere,
escape rate and its interaction with the solar
 Loss of any of these objectives wind
will constitute a failure of the  Search for neutral species such as
mission. H2, hydrocarbons, HCN and other
nitrides in the atmosphere
 Search for any Charon atmosphere
 Map surface temperatures of Pluto
and Charon

7. Size of Pluto
Pluto is about 2274
kilometres (1410 miles)
in diameter and Charon
1172 kilometres (727
miles) in diameter.
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8. What is Pluto composed of?
Pluto was the only planet in our solar
system that we have not explored with
a spacecraft. The current studies tell
us that Pluto is made up of a mixture
of rocks and several kinds of "ices".
Scientists believe that most of the ices
that make up Pluto are frozen
methane and ammonia.
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9. The surface of Pluto is
very dark and extremely
cold. Since the planet is so
far away from the Sun, it
gets almost no light or Physical Characteristics
heat.
Scientists believe that the
temperature on the Pluto’s
surface is over 250
degrees Celsius below
zero.
At this low temperature,
almost everything freezes
solid. Scientists here on
Earth have determined that
Pluto does have a very thin
atmosphere, but it is far
too thin to support any kind
of life.
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10. Pluto’s Moons
Pluto has 3 moons
Charon
Discovered in 1978
Largest of 3 moons
Half the size of Pluto
No other moon is as large, when
compared to its planet.
Pluto and Charon are so similar
in size that some astronomers
think of them as a double planet.
Artist’s impression of Charon The other two moons Nix and
from Pluto. Hydra are far smaller than
Charon.
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11. Pluto and Charon
Compared to the US Pluto and Charon
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12. Pluto Facts
 Radius: 1,137 km
 Mass: 1.27x1022 kg
 Shape: round, no rings, 122° tilt
 Density: 2.05 gm/cm3
 Distance from the Sun:
5,913,520,000 km
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13. Scaled Drawing of Orbits
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14. Pluto Size Comparison
Earth and Pluto
Size Comparison
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15. HABITATION OF PLUTO?

16. ¡TIME TO RETURN TO EARTH!
Hope You Enjoyed Our Presentation!
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