9 new planets
You're referring to the recent discovery of 9 new planets in our solar system!
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognized 9 new planets in our solar system, which were previously considered to be dwarf planets or other types of celestial bodies. These new planets are:
- Ceres: Located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is now classified as a dwarf planet.
- Haumea: An irregularly shaped dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune.
- Makemake: Another irregularly shaped dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt.
- Eris: A dwarf planet located in the scattered disc, a region of the solar system that contains many small, icy bodies.
- Sedna: A small, icy body located in the outer reaches of the solar system.
- Orcus: A dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt.
- Quaoar: A dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt.
- Varuna: A dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt.
- Salacia: A dwarf planet located in the Kuiper Belt.
These new planets are all much smaller than the major planets like Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, and are often referred to as "dwarf planets" or "small solar system bodies." They are thought to have formed in the early days of the solar system and have since evolved into their current forms.
It's worth noting that the IAU definition of a planet requires that it must:
- Be in orbit around the Sun.
- Have sufficient mass to assume a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (i.e., be nearly round in shape).
- Have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
The new planets do not meet the third criterion, as their orbits overlap with those of other objects in the solar system. Therefore, they are classified as dwarf planets rather than full-fledged planets.