archive / atlas record
Pluto
A complex icy world in the Kuiper Belt.
- classification
- Dwarf planet
- system
- Kuiper Belt
Pluto is a dwarf planet with mountains of water ice, nitrogen-rich surface deposits and a large moon, Charon.
- Class
- Dwarf planet
- Location / system
- Kuiper Belt
- Distance
- About 39 AU mean distance from the Sun
Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.
Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)
Pluto is a dwarf planet with mountains of water ice, nitrogen-rich surface deposits and a large moon, Charon.
Imaging, spectra and orbital dynamics
Pluto's surface or atmosphere is constrained by telescopic and spacecraft imaging where available; spectra identify materials, while repeated position measurements establish its orbit and system context.
- What remains least constrained about Pluto?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.
Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.
NASA // verified 28 September 2026
NASA/JPL // verified 28 September 2026