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Is Eris rocky or gas?
Eris is so far from the Sun that its atmosphere sometimes freezes due to lack of sunlight. It thaws as it gets closer to the Sun’s heat over the course of its 557-year orbital period. Scientists believe that the surface of Eris is rocky. This is similar to the surface found on Pluto.
What elements are on Eris?
Researchers think Eris’ surface is probably composed of a nitrogen-rich ice mixed with frozen methane in a layer less than 1 millimeter thick. This ice layer could be the result of the dwarf planet’s atmosphere condensing as frost on the surface as it moves away from the sun, they said.
What is special about Eris planet?
Eris is one of the largest known dwarf planets in our solar system. It’s about the same size as Pluto but is three times farther from the Sun. At first, Eris appeared to be larger than Pluto.
What is the temperature on Eris?
It has a highly eccentric orbit around the Sun, which causes its surface temperature to vary from -217 degrees Celsius to -243 degrees Celsius. Observations of Eris have led scientists to believe that it has frozen methane on its surface. At 2400 kilometers in diameter, Eris is slightly larger than Pluto.
Does Eris have gravity?
0.82 m/s²Eris / Gravity
Though its gravity is weak compared to earth, Eris has the strongest gravity out of all the dwarf planets: 0.82 m/s².
What’s bigger than the sun?
Betelgeuse, a red giant, is about 700 times bigger than the sun and about 14,000 times brighter. “We have found stars that are 100 times bigger in diameter than our sun. Truly those stars are enormous,” NASA says on its SpacePlace website (opens in new tab).
What is the surface temperature of the planet Eris?
Eris most likely has a rocky surface similar to Pluto. Scientists think surface temperatures vary from about -359 degrees Fahrenheit (-217 degrees Celsius) to -405 degrees Fahrenheit (-243 degrees Celsius). Atmosphere.
Does dwarf planet Eris have a frozen atmosphere?
Still, combined with other data, the dwarf planet’s brightness suggests that Eris once had a Pluto-like atmosphere that’s frozen solid, existing as a thin layer of frost on the surface, astronomers say. (See “Pluto Has Toxic Carbon Monoxide in Its Atmosphere.”)
What are 5 interesting facts about Eris?
Space Facts. Eris is the most distant dwarf planet from the Sun and has the greatest mass. Eris is the second largest dwarf planet (very a close second to Pluto) and at one point was considered for the position of the 10th planet. Eris’ discovery promoted discussion that eventually lead to the classification of ‘Dwarf Planets’.
Where does Eris get its methane from?
Because methane is highly volatile, its presence shows either that Eris has always resided in the distant reaches of the Solar System, where it is cold enough for methane ice to persist, or that the celestial body has an internal source of methane to replenish gas that escapes from its atmosphere.