In 2006, Pluto was named a dwarf star because it couldn’t clear astroids out of its orbit. There’s been a lot of controversy around this planet/dwarf star, but one thing is certain. It’s in the Milky Way and is of interests to NASA. Here’s some fun facts about this icy, rockey planet.

For every 248 Earth years, Pluto has rotated only one year.

The sun only looks like a bright star from Pluto’s surface.

Pluto is smaller than Earth’s mooth, and had two additional moons discovered in 2005.

Most of the atmosphere on Pluto contains nitrogen.

It can go closer to the orbit of the sun then Neptune’s orbit.

Pluto, which is our planet (or dwarf star) farthest from the Sun, is composed mostly of ice.

NASA hasn’t been to Pluto yet, but it does have 3 satilites circulating it. Astronauts plan to reach Pluto by 2015.

It’s tilted on over 122 degree axis which leaves long periods of darkness.

Pluto was demoted to a swarf planet when scientists found that that that Pluto couldn’t remove objects from its orbit.

Similar to the planet Uranus (which is 2 planets away,) Pluto rotates on its side.

The Kuiper Belt, which begins after Neptune, contains Pluto, smaller planets and other objects.

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930 which looking the orbit of Neptune.

The Planet was named after a Roman god that lived in the underground.

Pluto has one moon that circles its orbit.

Pluto orbits Earth within every 6 days.

With the planet being -233 celcius, helium and hydrogen are two gases that would not freeze on this icy planet.

Pluto’s surface is rock and ice and is brownish-red in color due to its gas.

Whereas the sun  takes 8 minutes to reach Earth, it takes 5 1/2 hours to reach Pluto.

Nitrogen and oxygen, which we breathe in on Earth, are frozen on this dwarf planet.

Pluto’s size is smaller than the planet closest to the sun, Mercury.