Minor Bodies Wednesday

What is the diameter of Eris?

• 3,000 m

• 3,000 cm

• 3,000 km

• 3,000 dm

What was Eris named after?

• Greek goddess of strife

• Roman god of war

• An astronomer's girlfriend

How was Pluto originally classified?

• Planet

• Trans-Neptunian object

• Asteroid

• Comet

What is the difference between the definition of a planet and a dwarf planet?

• Maintains an orbit free of neighboring minor bodies

• No difference

• Dwarf planets are small

• Able to maintain a nearly round shape

What are asteroids and comets referred to as?

• Minor bodies

• Comets and asteroids

• Small Solar System bodies

• Dwarf planets

What was one reason given for demoting Pluto to a dwarf planet?

• Neil deGrasse Tyson doesn't like Pluto

• Pluto is embedded in a swarm of similar objects, like the asteroid Ceres.

• Pluto is too small

• Pluto is not a gas giant

What does new information allow scientists to do?

• Allows scientists to reevaluate their understanding of the natural world.

• Lets scientists flip flop on important issues

• Nothing

Is Pluto the only dwarf planet in the Solar System?

• Yes

• No