A dwarf planet orbits the Sun and is massive enough to be pulled into a round shape, but it has not cleared its path of other bodies, unlike the eight planets. The International Astronomical Union recognises five: Ceres in the asteroid belt, and Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris beyond Neptune. Several other large, distant bodies, such as Gonggong, Quaoar, Orcus and Sedna, are probably dwarf planets too, but their shape and size are harder to measure; in October 2026 the Rubin Observatory announced a new candidate, 2026 ED138. The table lists them with their current distance from the Sun.
Where are the dwarf planets?
Computing…
| Name | From the Sun | From the Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Pluto | … | … |
| Ceres | … | … |
| Haumea | … | … |
| Makemake | … | … |
| Eris | … | … |
| Gonggong | … | … |
| Quaoar | … | … |
| Orcus | … | … |
| Sedna | … | … |
| 2026 ED138 | … | … |
Questions and answers
Why is Pluto no longer a planet?
In 2006, after the discovery of Eris, about as large, astronomers defined “planet”: Pluto shares its zone with many Kuiper Belt objects, so it became a dwarf planet.
How many dwarf planets are there?
Five are officially recognised; astronomers think there may be dozens, even hundreds, in the far reaches of the solar system.
Where the numbers come from
Values refresh every second in your browser; the published data are checked every 10 minutes and updated several times a day.