Pluto, once considered the ninth planet of our solar system, is now classified as a dwarf planet. Located in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune, Pluto orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 3.7 billion miles. Discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, it was reclassified in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union due to its size and inability to clear its orbit of debris. Pluto has five known moons, the largest being Charon, which is nearly half its size. Its surface is covered in nitrogen ice, with towering mountains made of water ice and a thin atmosphere that expands when closer to the Sun. NASA's New Horizons mission provided stunning images of Pluto in 2015, revealing a surprisingly complex and geologically active world. Despite its demotion, Pluto remains a source of fascination and debate in the scientific community.
