⚙️ how

How do scientists know that Pluto is smaller than Earth's Moon?

Quick Answer

They measure Pluto's diameter directly with telescopes and spacecraft imaging, then compare it to the Moon's known size.

The Full Story

Pluto's size was uncertain for many decades because it is very distant and faint. Better telescopic observations and, later, NASA's New Horizons flyby in 2015 gave a much more accurate diameter of about 2,377 kilometers. The Moon's diameter is about 3,474 kilometers, making it significantly larger than Pluto. New Horizons also showed that Pluto is a complex world with mountains, plains, and a nitrogen-ice heart-shaped region.

Key Facts

1.Pluto's diameter is about 2,377 km
2.The Moon's diameter is about 3,474 km
3.New Horizons flew by Pluto in 2015

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"Pluto may be iconic, but Earth's Moon is actually bigger."

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