: a celestial body that orbits the sun and has a spherical shape but is not large enough to disturb other objects from its orbit
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebResearchers are currently investigating the possibility of mounting a sample-return mission to the dwarf planet, based on a recommendation from the Planetary Science Decadal Survey released in April. Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, 28 July 2022 Today also sees Pluto at its brightest in 2022, though the dwarf planet (and ex-ninth planet) is really hard to see in anything other than a 12-inch telescope. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 17 July 2022 The Ceres mission could assess if the dwarf planet, which can be found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is habitable. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 19 Apr. 2022 Pluto was relegated to dwarf planet status in 2006 when the International Astronomical Union created a new definition for planets, and Pluto didn't fit the criteria. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 Mar. 2022 Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona—from where dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930—will be livestreaming the total lunar eclipse through a state-of-the-art 12-inch Planewave Telescope from its Giovale Open Deck Observatory. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 12 May 2022 Any liquid water left in Pluto's interior is thought to exist near the dwarf planet's core and is unlikely to power cryovolcanism near its surface. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Apr. 2022 Combined with the idea that Pluto has a warmer interior than previously believed, the findings raise intriguing questions about the dwarf planet's potential habitability. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 29 Mar. 2022 The image shows bright spots on the dwarf planet Ceres and was taken by a NASA spacecraft. Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1993, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
dwarf planet
noun
: a heavenly body similar to a planet but too small to clear other objects from its orbit