dwarf planet

English

Etymology

Coined by Alan Stern by analogy with dwarf star, as part of a tripartite classification of planets: classical planets (the big 8 in the Sol system), satellite planets (planetary-mass moons) and dwarf planets. Redefined by the IAU in 2006 to be a category of sub-planetary objects.

Pronunciation

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Noun

dwarf planet (plural dwarf planets)

  1. (astronomy) A planetary (world-like) body of the Solar system, that directly orbits the Sun like the classical planets but does not gravitationally dominate other bodies in the region of its orbit.
    Synonyms: planetoid, quasi-planet, sub-planet
    Hypernyms: minor planet, planet, planetary-mass object
    Hyponyms: ice dwarf, plutoid

Usage notes

Whether a dwarf planet is a planet or not depends on one's definition of planet. According to the IAU, a dwarf planet is a sub-planetary object, but to the coiner of the term and many other planetary geologists, a dwarf planet is a planet.

Hyponyms

Translations

a type of celestial body

See also

Further reading

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