How big is Quaoar?
1,100 kilometres!
Introduction Have you ever gazed up at the night sky and wondered about the tiny speckles of light that twinkle back at you? Those speckles are often stars, planets, and other celestial bodies that make up our vast universe. One such celestial body is a dwarf planet called Quaoar (pronounced Kwa-whar), located in a region beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt.
## What is Quaoar? Quaoar is a small, icy world that orbits our Sun, far beyond the orbit of Neptune. It's a dwarf planet, which means it is smaller than the eight planets in our solar system. Quaoar was first discovered by American astronomers Chad Trujillo and Michael Brown at the Palomar Observatory on 4 June 2002.
How Big is Quaoar? Now, let's talk about the size of Quaoar. It measures approximately 1,086 kilometers (675 miles) in diameter. To put that in perspective:
- Quaoar is about the size of Saturn's moon, Dione.
- It's about half the size of Pluto, another dwarf planet in our solar system. - Quaoar is bigger than some of the smaller countries on Earth. For example, it's almost twice the size of the United Kingdom! These comparisons help us understand just how big (or small) Quaoar is in the grand scheme of things. ## Quaoar's Moon and Rings Quaoar is not alone in its journey around the Sun. It has a moon, called Weywot, which was discovered by Michael Brown in February 2007. Besides its moon, in 2023, astronomers discovered that Quaoar has two rings orbiting it. This was a surprising find, as it was previously thought that only giant planets like Saturn could have rings.
Interesting Facts about Quaoar Now that we've discussed the size of Quaoar, let's delve into some other intriguing facts about this dwarf planet:
- Signs of water ice have been found on Quaoar's surface. This suggests that cryovolcanism (volcanoes that erupt with icy material instead of molten rock) may be occurring on Quaoar. - A small amount of methane is present on Quaoar's surface. Methane can only be retained by the largest Kuiper Belt objects, which indicates Quaoar is one of those objects. - Both Quaoar and its moon Weywot were named after mythological figures from the Native American Tongva people in Southern California. Quaoar is the Tongva creator deity and Weywot is his son.
Conclusion In the grand universe, Quaoar might seem small and insignificant. However, as we have learned, it holds a number of surprises and mysteries. From its size comparable to some of our moon and other dwarf planets, to the presence of ice and methane on its surface, and even its own moon and rings, Quaoar is a fascinating member of our solar system. Its discovery and subsequent study have offered us invaluable insights into the nature of the distant Kuiper Belt and the early solar system. So, the next time you look up at the stars, remember that each one, no matter how small, has its own unique story to tell!
Sedna
Sedna has a very elliptical orbit. It is so far away it takes 10,000 Earth years to complete one orbit. You probably realized that "Sedna" backwards is "Andes”, the world's longest mountain range (It's in South America). Both may seem other-worldly!
Ceres
Ceres is not a very good place for humans to live. Ceres is also the largest asteroid, and began the debate over the definition of "planet". For a time, Ceres was considered a planet, but then it wasn't.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is one of the largest canyons on Earth. It was carved by the Colorado River. All that carving took around 17 million years! The layers of rock exposed were even older, some as old as 1.8 billion years old!
Texas
Texas is the only state to have the same rank in both population and land area, which is second. If Puerto Rico were to be counted, Mississippi would rank in 32nd in both categories, but it's not, because Puerto Rico is not a state.
California
California is nicknamed "The Golden State". In the United States, it is ranked first in population, third in land area, and eleventh in name length. California is home to roughly 40 million people, which is less than one percent of the world's population.
Charon
Charon is Pluto's only large moon. They are very close in size. They are so close, some people used to consider Pluto and Charon to be a double planet. Did you know the same side of Charon always faces Pluto, and the same side of Pluto always faces Charon?