Russia is just a bit smaller than Pluto, with Pluto covering 17.6 million square kilometers and Russia encompassing 17.1 million square kilometers. Although Russia’s vast landmass falls short of Pluto’s, the size comparison highlights interesting similarities between our planet’s geography and celestial bodies.
Russia was once thought to be bigger than Pluto. However, NASA’s New Horizons mission collected new information in 2015 and updated Pluto’s measurements. Learn more here.
Why was Pluto changed into a dwarf planet?
In 2006, Pluto became a dwarf planet due to a new planet definition. To be considered a planet, an object must
- orbit around the sun,
- be large enough that gravity has pulled it into a discernible shape, and
- have a strong enough gravitational force that any foreign object in its orbit is pushed away.
Since Pluto doesn’t meet the third criterion, it’s classified as a dwarf planet.
NASA’s New Horizons Mission
New Horizon, a NASA mission, studied Pluto and its moons. It discovered Pluto’s surface area is bigger than first thought. The mission also provided high-quality pictures of Pluto’s surface, revealing craters, including a notable heart-shaped one, and other fascinating formations.
New Horizons set out to study objects in the Kuiper Belt, including Pluto. After examining Pluto, it flew by Arrokoth in 2019, the farthest it has ever been. The mission continues to venture deeper into space.