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Dwarf Planets: Lesser Worlds

April 12, 2026 · 28 min

Show notes

The Solar System is home to eight principal planets, but this is far from the full picture. Hidden beyond the orbit of Neptune are dozens of small, icy worlds, known as Dwarf Planets, or Minor Planets! The best example is Pluto, but there are dozens more orbiting within the same band of material in the outer Solar System. Today, we will visit these frozen, far out worlds first hand.

MUSIC:

- Mist - Odonis Odonis

- Lucid Haze - Amulets

- Shallow Depths - jAde Wii

- At the Foot of the Sphinx - Twin Musicom

- Length of Light - Amulets

- Crystaline - Amulets

- Doll Dancing - Puddle of Infinity

- I Am Running Down the Long Hallway - Chris Zabriskie

- Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Kevin MacLeod


At the Foot of the Sphinx by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/


I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/

Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/


Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100189

Artist: http://incompetech.com/


CHAPTERS:

00:00: Introduction

01:52: Minor Planets

05:34: Ceres

09:15: The Kuiper Belt

11:49: Pluto

16:43: Why the IAU Demoted Pluto

17:46: Eris

20:17: Haumea

22:08: Makemake

24:24: Arrokoth

All episodes of SEA: Space Exploration & Astronomy

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