Pluto and Dwarf Planet Resources

Explore this page for a curated collection of resources, including activities that can be done at home, as well as videos and animations, images, printable graphics, and 3D models. This resource package is suitable for educators, students, and anyone interested in learning more about dwarf planets!

Pluto is reddish and has a heart shape lighter patch in the lower right half of this image from the New Horizons spacecraft.

Animations and Videos

Pluto is reddish and has a heart shape lighter patch in the lower right half of this image from the New Horizons spacecraft.

Space Shorts: What is a Dwarf Planet?

Discover what a dwarf planet is in this 60 second clip.

An artist's concept shows a spacecraft flying over the limb of Pluto with the moon Charon and the Sun in the background. The Sun is small and bright at this distance.

The Year of Pluto

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was the first to explore Pluto and Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth up close. This documentary explores how the mission came to be and why it matters.

Close up of probable ice volcano on Pluto.

New Horizons Flyover of Pluto

Using New Horizons data and digital elevation models of Pluto, mission scientists created a flyover movie that offers spectacular perspectives of the many unusual features of Pluto – from a vantage point even closer than the spacecraft itself.

A man wearing glasses and a suit poses for a photo in front of a rocky wall and next to a slightly open door.

Reflections on Clyde Tombaugh

Annette and Alden Tombaugh, the children of Clyde Tombaugh, remember their father and his discovery of Pluto.

Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres

Flight Over Dwarf Planet Ceres

Take a flight over dwarf planet Ceres in this video made with images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

Gray dwarf planet with bright spot near center

Bright Spots on Ceres

More than 300 bright spots were located on the surface of dwarf planet Ceres by NASA's Dawn mission. Scientists believe that the bright material indicates the dwarf planet is an active, evolving world.

Crater with bright white area in center.

NASA's Dawn Spacecraft's Flight Over Occator Crater

This video shows the intriguing Occator Crater on Ceres, home to the dwarf planet's brightest region. It may have been produced by upwelling of salt-rich liquids after the impact that formed the crater.

This illustration shows a dim, reddish sphere against black space, with light from a star above it cast across its surface. A smaller sphere, a moon, is visible at the lower right of the bigger sphere.

Moon Orbiting Dwarf Planet Makemake

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a moon orbiting dwarf planet Makemake — the third largest known object past the orbit of Neptune, about two thirds the size of Pluto.

Images

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    Pluto

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  2. 02

    Ceres

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Activities

A hand is shown holding a blue string taut. A circular golden bell is at the right end of the string and four smaller beads are dispersed to the left of the bell.

Model Solar System Bead Activity

In this activity, you'll construct a scale model of the solar system using beads and string and will observe the relative distances of the planets, asteroid belt, and dwarf planet Pluto from one another and from the Sun.

A mainly blank notebook is shown with the beginnings of a written poem on the right page. A hand is shown holding a pen to the paper.

Write a Poem About the Dwarf Planets

In this activity, you'll learn about different kinds of poems and will discover how to create your own poetry inspired by space.

A sketch of a spacecraft with a large dish antenna is shown in front of two spheres. Stars and dots sprinkle the surrounding sky.

New Horizons Coloring Page

Color Pluto, its giant moon Charon, and NASA's New Horizons spacecraft!

Printable Graphics

This full disc view of Pluto features bright region that looks like a heart on the side of the dwarf planet.

Pluto Poster - Version A

A color view of Pluto, as seen in July 2015 by NASA's New Horizons mission.

Close view of mountains and plains on Pluto.

Pluto Poster - Version B

A look at the mountains and plains of Pluto, as seen in July 2015 by NASA's New Horizons mission.

View of Pluto in space, featuring the heart-shaped bright area amidst the dark reds, pinks, and purples of its icy landscape.

Pluto Poster - Version C

Scientists with NASA's New Horizons mission used enhanced color images like the one in this poster to detect differences in the composition and texture of Pluto's surface.

Full disk view of dwarf planet Ceres, with a bright blueish spot at center.

Ceres Poster - Version A

In this poster, the dwarf planet Ceres is shown in a false-color rendering, which highlights differences in surface materials.

A close-up view of dwarf planet Ceres's pockmarked surface.

Ceres Poster - Version B

This poster shows a view of Ceres, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft in December 2015, of an area in the southern hemisphere of the dwarf planet.

Half disk view of Ceres showing craters in great detail.

Ceres Poster - Version C

NASA's Dawn spacecraft captured the view of Ceres shown in this poster in April 2015.

3D Models and Interactives

Slice of dwarf planet Pluto in black and white.

Pluto 3D Model

Check out this 3D model of Pluto.

Illustration of a gold spacecraft with a silver dish on the front floating in space

New Horizons 3D Model

A 3D model of NASA's New Horizons, a mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

Gray Ceres has a bright spot near its upper left side in this image from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

Ceres 3D Model

A 3D model of Ceres, a dwarf planet in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

An oblong grey egg shaped object.

Haumea 3D Model

A 3D model of Haumea, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt

A reddish brown sphere with craters spread across its surface is shown.

Makemake 3D Model

A 3D model of Makemake, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt.

A grey sphere is shown with large gouges across its surface.

Eris 3D Model

A 3D model of Eris, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt.

Dwarf planet Ceres appears gray with white splotches in this image from the Dawn spacecraft.

NASA Solar System Treks: Ceres

Check out these online portals and explore the surfaces of other worlds using real data returned from spacecraft. Visit Ceres now!