Dwarf Planet Worlds

The five officially recognized dwarf planets — Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea — represent a diverse class of worlds. Ceres, the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system, has bright salt deposits from a subsurface brine layer. Haumea spins so fast it has elongated into an egg shape, completing a rotation every 4 hours.

Eris is slightly more massive than Pluto but smaller in diameter, suggesting a denser composition. Makemake has an extremely thin atmosphere that freezes onto its surface as it moves away from the Sun. Each dwarf planet tells a unique story about the conditions — and the surprises — found in the outer solar system.