Pluto
Latest about Pluto
Dim Pluto reaches its brightest as the third-quarter moon meets Mars in the night sky
By Elizabeth Howell published
Here's how to observe these solar system worlds overnight Wednesday (July 20) and Thursday (July 21).
Pluto's moon Charon sports a red polar cap that forms as seasons change
By Keith Cooper published
The red cap on Pluto's moon Charon results when ultraviolet light and the solar wind interact with hydrocarbons and turn them into a soup of organic compounds dubbed tholins.
Curious Kids: Why does it matter if Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet?
By Samantha Lawler published
"Comet," "star" and "planet" are category names that immediately tell you something important about what they describe.
How Pluto walks a tightrope between a stable and chaotic orbit
By Keith Cooper published
Pluto is lucky to exist in the orbit that it does, according to new computer simulations that show how the dwarf planet skirts near a chaotic orbit that could potentially destroy the beloved world.
Ice volcanoes on Pluto may still be erupting
By Rebecca Sohn last updated
An area of Pluto that researchers think was formed from the eruption of ice volcanoes is unique on the dwarf planet and in the solar system, a new study suggests.
7 Wild Myths About Pluto
By Mike Wall last updated
A rundown of some of the most common misconceptions about the dwarf planet, which will be imaged in detail for the first time during the July 14 flyby of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft.
Pluto's bizarre polygons now have a science explanation
By Elizabeth Howell published
The icy process may be present on other worlds.
Pluto's atmosphere is starting to disappear, scientists find
By Chelsea Gohd published
Pluto's atmosphere is going through a strange transformation, scientists are finding.
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