A presentation by Ann-Kathrin Rink. introduction facts about pluto a dwarf among giants the...
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Transcript of A presentation by Ann-Kathrin Rink. introduction facts about pluto a dwarf among giants the...
DISCOVERY OF PLUTO
A presentation by Ann-Kathrin Rink
Plan
introduction facts about pluto a dwarf among giants the discovery sources
Introduction
The solar system 8 planets(pluto is not a planet
anymore)
Kuiper belt objects (KBO‘s)
Region of the solar system beyond neptune‘s orbit → is a bit like the asteroid belt (but much larger) → 30 AU to 55 AU away from the sun
The Kuiper Belt
KBO‘s
→ first KBO was discovered in 1992→ home of at least 2 dwarf planets
Eris & Pluto
Facts about Pluto
3 moons Diameter 2320 km Mass: 0,0021 Earthmass Average distance from sun: ≈ 6
billion km → Maximum: ≈ 7,4 billion km → Minimum: ≈ 4,4 billion km Eccentricity of its orbit 0,25 → Compared with other planets, the
eccentricity is extremely high e.g. Earth : 0,017 ; Neptune: 0,009 Orbital period: 248,6 earth
years Rotation period: 6,4 earth days
A dwarf among giants
Pluto – a dwarf planet
Was stripped of his fully planet status → August 2006 reclassified as a “dwarf planet” Why? → discovery of a number of KBO’s of similar if not greater size
→ if the IAU did not action like that, other KBO’s would have become planets
→ some astronomers question pluto’s status because of its size ↔ more similarities with the KBO’s
The Discovery
The First Try…
1905 Percival Lowell hypothesized the possibility of a planet X
Based on perturbations of Neptune and Uranus → influence of other body’s gravity
Calculated the approximate position → was not able to find it before he died in
1916
1919 W. H. Pickering recalculated the position of the planet X → failed to find Pluto, too
After searching for an long time…
… C. W. Tombaugh finally discovered Pluto on the 18th February in 1930
Used calculation of is predecessors
Fotographes certain sections twice → interval of 6 days
Searching for a “wandering” star
Analysed these pictures with a blink comparator → shows both pictures in series → a ‘wandering’ star will blink
Today we know that Pluto ‘s mass is not big enough to perturb Uranus’ and Neptune’s orbit...
→ In the end Pluto’s discovery must have been a lucky break
Thank you for your attention
Sources:
www.solarspace.co.ukwww.abenteuer-universum.dewww.nasa.comwww.space.comwww.news.bbc.co.ukHarenbergs Schlüsseldaten Astronomie