Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Trans-Neptunian object
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
=== Discovery of Pluto === [[File:Pluto in True Color - High-Res.jpg|thumb|[[Pluto]], the first known TNO, imaged by ''[[New Horizons]]'' in 2015.]] The orbit of each of the planets is slightly affected by the [[gravitational]] influences of the other planets. Discrepancies in the early 1900s between the observed and expected orbits of Uranus and Neptune suggested that there were one or more additional [[planets beyond Neptune]]. The search for these led to the [[discovery of Pluto]] in February 1930, which was progressively determined to be too small to explain the discrepancies. Revised estimates of Neptune's mass from the ''[[Voyager 2]]'' flyby in 1989 showed that there is no real discrepancy: The problem was an error in the expectations for the orbits.<ref>{{cite press release |first1=Chris |last1=Gebhardt |first2=Jeff |last2=Goldader |date=20 August 2011 |title=Thirty-four years after launch, Voyager 2 continues to explore |website=NASA Spaceflight (nasaspaceflight.com) |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/thirty-four-years-voyager-2-continues-explore/ }}</ref> Pluto was easiest to find because it is the [[apparent magnitude|brightest]] of all known trans-Neptunian objects. It also has a lower inclination to the [[ecliptic]] than most other large TNOs, so its position in the sky is typically closer to the search zone in the disc of the Solar System.
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)