An illustration of the known dwarf planets and their moons. From left to right: Pluto (with Charon, Hydra, Myx, Kerberos, and Styx), Eris (with Dysnomia), Makemake, Ceres, and Haumea (with Hiaka and Namaka). (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)
In 2006, Pluto was famously demoted from a planet to a dwarf planet. It remains the most well-known dwarf planet to date, but there are others in our solar system, including potentially hundreds that have yet to be discovered.
But what is a dwarf planet? And how many dwarf planets are there?
A dwarf planet is a celestial body that is smaller than a planet but larger than an asteroid or other small rock in the solar system. They are not considered planets because they only meet two of the three criteria that an object in space must meet to be considered a true planet.
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