+1 (845) 317-8489 [email protected]

1) Note the there are three planets whose labels you can see in the animation. Describe where the other planets are.

2) Notice that there are four other named objects in the animation: Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. Think about what aspects of their orbits are different than the orbits of the three planets that are clearly visible. Try to come up with three.

3) Based on your answers to the previous question, could you argue that Pluto (and its neighbors with similarly distinct orbits) is a planet?

Its important to note that, although there are only three Pluto-like objects in the animation, there are many thousands of smaller ones.

4) Watch the video On Pluto at the top of the page. In that video, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why Pluto shouldnt be considered a planet. Compare your answers to this video.