Which of the three most distant extrasolar planets does Pluto most resemble? This question might come as a surprise since Pluto is the most distant planet from Earth. However it has been the subject of much discussion. After all the other two planets are even farther away! To answer this question we’ll look at what we know about these extrasolar worlds. After all Pluto is just as far away as Neptune is from us!
Venus
Mars and Venus are among the most fascinating extrasolar planets. Although they are much smaller than our own planet they are similar enough to be habitable. Both are similar in composition and surface gravity but Venus’s harsh environment makes life on Venus unlikely. However research into Venus’s environment may help scientists better understand the unique characteristics of this world. Here are some interesting facts about Venus. This information will help scientists discover how Venus’s unique characteristics can benefit humankind.
The thickness of an exoplanet lithosphere depends on a number of factors including surface temperature mass age and distance to the star. Small old and far from the star worlds are more likely to have thick rigid layers than planets closer to their star. Eggshell planets may resemble the lowlands of Venus which contain vast lavas. A thin outer brittle layer may be indicative of an eggshell planet which is similar in appearance to Venus.
The surface temperature of a planet depends on the solar flux that it receives from its star as well as the atmospheric pressure. Present-day Venus receives about 1.9 times the flux Earth receives while Mars receives only 0.4 times that. In addition to its surface temperature any rocky planet receiving more flux than Venus is considered to be too hot to be habitable. The fraction of incident light that is reflected is called the albedo. When the surface temperature of a planet is zero the planet has no atmosphere and is classified as a black body.
While the ancients knew of five planets the astronomical revolution brought about the discovery of seven more. Copernicus Kepler and Newton showed that five planets were more like Earth than the other four. In addition William Herschel announced the discovery of Uranus in 1781. The same year thousands of asteroids were discovered in the area. The next big step in discovering the extrasolar planets will involve refining the transit technique and developing better observatories.
Neptune
Despite the similarities between the two worlds Neptune differs in some ways. The atmosphere of Neptune is divided into two major regions: the lower troposphere and the stratosphere. As the atmosphere becomes warmer it expands toward the star. At its lowest altitude the tropopause is 0.1 bar (10 kPa) below the surface. At this point the planet enters the exosphere. Bands of high-altitude clouds are visible on the lower cloud deck.
The definition of a planet was defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) an organization charged with categorizing objects in the sky. The criteria for a planet to be classified as a planet include: orbiting the Sun in a circular pattern; being round; and having enough mass to clear debris from its orbital neighbourhood. Previously Pluto was classified as a planet but it was only later that astronomers confirmed that the dwarf planet Pluto does not belong to the planet family.
Because of its relatively small size Neptune is difficult to study with Earth-based telescopes. Until recently the only spacecraft to visit Neptune was Voyager 2. However advances in technology and observations have made it possible to observe Neptune from afar. A recent study has shown that Neptune resembles most known extrasolar planets. It was discovered by scientists on 23 September 1846 just northeast of the planet Iota Aquarii.
A recent study of the orbits of other planets in the solar system suggests that the outer planetary systems are likely to host Neptune-mass worlds. A similar study showed that Neptune resembles most known extrasolar planets including Jupiter and Mars. And although it is not yet clear how the heavenly bodies formed their planets it’s still important to understand the processes involved.
Pluto
In terms of size Pluto is the most distant planet in our solar system. It is also the least resembling the Earth or Jovian planets and it is characterized by a small moon and elliptical orbit around the Sun. Its atmosphere is constantly changing and its orbit is quite different from that of its neighbours. This article will explore Pluto’s size atmosphere and moon and discuss how it differs from other planets in the solar system.
Most astronomers thought that the formation of a star is a fairly straightforward process: the massive cloud of gas and dust starts gravitationally congealing and spinning into a protostellar disk which will eventually form the sun and planets. But some planets display irregularities such as Uranus’s odd spin axis. Pluto also occasionally crosses the path of Neptune. New discoveries of planets in our solar system include the six so-called hot Jupiters: these bodies orbit their stars at a highly elliptical angle.
Astronomers have classified the eight known Solar planets into two groups: terrestrial and Jovian. Terrestrial planets are rocky solid and near the sun. Jupiter and Saturn for example are giant planets. Jupiter and Saturn have moons and four are icy. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn are classified as additional terrestrial planets. Pluto however is more like a dwarf planet.
While Pluto is similar to Earth the other extrasolar planets are unlike ours. Unlike Earth Pluto is made of mostly icy and rocky material. It is also the smallest known alien world. The icy dwarf planet Ceres was first discovered in the early nineteenth century. It is now considered the most closely related of all extrasolar planets. A European team has discovered the smallest planet yet orbiting an ordinary star. The icy rock-rich world may be the first alien planet primarily composed of rock.
Pluto is the farthest Solar System planet
While the sun is the largest object in our solar system Pluto is one of the more distant and smaller planets. Its diameter is about two-thirds smaller than the moon’s. Pluto has five known moons the largest being Charon which is about half the size of Pluto. In fact Pluto and its moons are considered to be a binary system with their barycenters outside of each other.
Although Pluto is generally the farthest planet in our Solar System its orbit is so highly elliptical that it crosses inside Neptune’s orbit for 20 years every 248 years. This makes it impossible to view Pluto with the naked eye and only one space mission has been able to fly close enough to take photos. It is therefore not surprising that it is now classified as a dwarf planet.
In 2011 the IAU’s definition of a planet states that a body must have cleared its debris field before it can be classified as a planet. Pluto’s orbit also makes it close to the Kuiper Belt a region from which short-period comets originate. After completing more than two centuries of research the IAU downgraded Pluto to dwarf planet status and a new wave of science textbook reprints ensued. But despite the downgrade Pluto remains one of the most fascinating (non)planets to learn about.
Although Pluto is the farthest planet in our Solar System its atmosphere is extremely thin. It receives only one-eighth of Earth’s light. That’s why its atmosphere looks like a comet – it expands as it gets closer to the Sun and collapses when it gets farther. Furthermore its surface ices sublimate to gas and rise to an elevation of 1670 km.
Observations of extrasolar planets
Observations of extrasolar planets are a vital step in the study of the formation of exoplanets. More than 200 planets have been identified to date and 14 of these are transiting their star at the same orbital period as their star. Transiting planets are useful for constraining the global composition and mass of their host stars. In addition to revealing the mass of a planet they can also help us understand how planets form.
Transit and Doppler velocity observations have been the two most widely used methods of exoplanet detection. These methods are biased toward the detection of planets with large mass. Transits are more likely to occur when the planets are close to their host star but as the orbital distance grows larger the transit probability decreases. And in both methods the planets must be observed for the entire orbital period in order to detect their mass distributions.
While many exoplanet observations have been made of transiting planets their spectra are still not well defined. Observations have shown that hydrogen can escape from a planet that orbits a star near its own star. There are only a few known extrasolar planets with minimum mass equal to the mass of Earth. In addition these planets are relatively hot and irradiation is intense.
Some observations have shown multiple exoplanets around other stars. Through transit and radial velocity measurements multiple planets have been identified around other stars. When the planet is lined up with the star its signature appears to be the largest. But when the planet passes behind the star the total amount of light emitted by the system decreases. So if you are interested in exoplanets astrophysics is the field for you.
