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Pluto to Ceres: 5 dwarf planets in the Solar System

Pluto to Ceres: 7 dwarf planets in the Solar System. From Kuiper Belt oddities like Eris to Ceres in the asteroid belt, each reveals distinct features of these celestial bodies

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Dwarf Planet

Pluto and Ceres, orbit the Sun but haven't cleared their orbits. Defined by the IAU, they're smaller, spherical objects offering insights into solar system diversity 

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Pluto

Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet by the IAU in 2006. It is located in the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond Neptune, and is the most famous of the dwarf planets

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Ceres

Ceres is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was the first dwarf planet to be discovered and is the largest object in the asteroid belt

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Haumea

Haumea is another dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt. It is known for its distinctive elongated shape, which is believed to be the result of its rapid rotation

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Makemake

It is one of the brighter objects in the Kuiper Belt and is named after the creation deity of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island

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Orcus

It is 917 km wide, with a moon named Vanth. Orcus is composed of ice and rock, orbits the Sun beyond Neptune, and takes around 247 years to complete an orbit

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Quaoar

Quaoar is a Kuiper Belt object and a dwarf planet discovered in 2002. It's around 1,100 km in diameter and orbits the Sun beyond Neptune

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Huya

Huya is a trans-Neptunian object, possibly a dwarf planet, discovered in 2000. It's located in the Kuiper Belt, about 850 km in diameter, and orbits the Sun beyond Neptune

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