Pluto
Pluto was once our solar system’s ninth planet, but has been reclassified as a dwarf planet. It’s located in the Kuiper Belt.
Pluto Facts
Pluto is a dwarf planet located in a distant region of our solar system beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt.
Pluto was long considered our ninth planet, but the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006. NASA’s New Horizons was the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close, flying by in 2015.
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Pluto by the Numbers
How big is Pluto? How far is it from the Sun?
Use this tool to compare Pluto to Earth, and other planets.
Analyze and Compare
Exploring Pluto
NASA’s New Horizons was the first and, so far, the only mission to explore Pluto.
New Horizons also was the first mission to explore the solar system’s recently discovered “third zone,” the region beyond the giant planets called the Kuiper Belt.
More About Exploring Pluto
Moons of Pluto
Pluto has five moons.
Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, is about half the size of Pluto, making it the largest known moon relative to its parent planet in our solar system. Pluto’s other moons are: Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra
Learn About Pluto's Moons
Pluto and Dwarf Planet Resources
A curated collection of resources, including activities that can be done at home, as well as videos and animations, images, printable graphics, and 3D models.
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