Transcript Pluto: The Pipsqueak

PLUTO: “THE PIPSQUEAK”
By J.P. Walsh
Planet X
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Pluto was discovered in
1930 by Percival Lowell
He discovered it accidentally
because Pluto’s gravitational
pull upset the orbit of
Neptune.
This obstruction had to be
another planet, Planet X as
they called it.
Pluto: God of Death
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In Roman mythology, Pluto
was the god of Death
(Hades in Greek mythology).
The Trial of Death included
crossing the river of the
Dead (called the river Styx),
getting past Cerberus (a
fierce guard of the land of
the dead), and finally,
coming before the Judges of
the Dead.
The Satellites of Pluto
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Pluto has three moons: Charon, Nix, and Hydra.
Charon is actually almost the size of Pluto.
Nix and Hydra have said to only be around 50 to 60
km in diameter.
Some Science Stuff
Pluto’s volume is about
6,390,000,000 km cubed,
which is .66% of Earth’s
volume.
 Pluto’s mass is about 13
septillion kg
 Pluto’s distance from the sun
is about 5,906,380,000 km
These are approximations
because Pluto is so far
away, it is hard to tell the
exact calculations.
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No Life to Live
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Pluto has such a thin
atmosphere that it only
exists as a gas when
Pluto is at its perihelion.
When the atmosphere
does become a gas,
some of it has said to
have interacted with
Charon.
Atmospheric Composition
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Pluto has said to be
mostly comprised of
methane, ethane,
nitrogen, and carbon
monoxide.
Because it is so far
away, it is hard to really
test the atmospheric
composition of Pluto.
Pluto’s revolution and rotation
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Pluto’s revolution period is about 248 Earth years.
Pluto’s rotational period is about 6.39 Earth days.
The Unknown
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Not much is known about
Pluto compared to other
planets, mostly because
a spacecraft hasn’t
visited it yet.
NASA’s New Horizons
should reach Pluto and
the Kuiper Belt in 2015.
Surface Features
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Pluto’s images are hard to come by. Even the
Hubble telescope can only make out grainy images.
Pluto
Pluto’s temperatures
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Pluto has a high temperature of -210 degrees
Celsius
Pluto has a low temperature of -235 degrees
Celsius
That is about -375 degrees Fahrenheit!
Interesting Facts
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Romans were afraid to
say Pluto’s real name
because it might cause
him hear them and kill
them.
Interesting Facts Continued
Bibliography