Vacation Destination: the Dwarf Planet Pluto

Recommended For: Ages 9 and up

Badges: Space & the Future, Artist in Space

Pluto was once the ninth planet from the sun. It was also the smallest planet in our Solar System. But that isn’t the case anymore. Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet. In this activity, you will blast off into the future where dwarf planet Pluto is a popular vacation destination to relax away from the other Planets. After learning about Pluto, you will design your own advertisement to sell vacations to this dwarf planet.

You will need:

A good internet connection
Paper
Art supplies (we suggest markers or paint)
Lots of curiosity

Explore

Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh on February 18th, 1930.

Did you know that the Earth takes 1 year to orbit around the sun? It takes Pluto 248 years to complete 1 orbit around the sun. That means that if you lived on Pluto, you would need to live 248 Earth Years in order to celebrate your first birthday in Pluto-years!

Explore Pluto with NASA’s Solar System Exploration website. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/overview/

Did you know that the temperature on the surface of Pluto is -229 degrees Celsius (-380 degree Fahrenheit). That’s cold!

Read or Watch

Pluto has a diameter of about 1474 miles. That means that if you drew a straight line from one side of Pluto directly to the opposite side of Pluto going through the center, it would be 1474 miles long. According to NASA there are three other object in our Solar System that are about the same size as Pluto. They are Cere (pronounced SEAR-ees, Makemake (pronounced MAH-kee-MAH-kee), and Eris (pronounced AIR-iss). These objects, along with Pluto, are much smaller than the other eight planets. They are called Dwarf Planets.

Watch this video that explains why Pluto is not a planet anymore.

Read this article from NASA to learn more.

Wonder

Imagine that you are 300 years in the future. You are a Solar System Travel Agent. You help people plan their vacations to distant parts of the Solar System. The dwarf planet Pluto is becoming a popular vacation destination.

Why do you think people might want to travel to Pluto?

What types of vacations would someone go on when visiting Pluto?

What slogan would you use to advertise this popular vacation destination?

Create

Create an advertisement about why tourists should visit the dwarf planet Pluto.

Need some inspiration? Check out NASA’s Space Tourism Posters. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/682/space-tourism-posters/

Wonderlog

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