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The difference in definition between a planet and a dwarf planet is just that a dwarf planet has not cleared debris from it's orbit. So not directly dependent o
by janzer 8y ago
The difference in definition between a planet and a dwarf planet is just that a dwarf planet has not cleared debris from it's orbit. So not directly dependent on the mass, diameter etc.
I'm unsure why the further would orbits require a larger size though; my guess is something to do with longer, slower orbits needing more mass to get rid of the debris.
- JumpCrisscross 8y ago> I'm unsure why the further would orbits require a larger size though Stern–Levison's Λ finds a body's ability to scatter smaller masses out of its orbital region over a period of time equal to the age of the Universe scales inversely with its semi-major axis [1]. (A circle's semi-major axis is its radius [2].) This is most simply because a wide orbit contains more volume than a small orbit. [1] http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~hal/PDF/planet_def.pdf http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~hal/PDF/planet_def.pdf [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-major_and_semi-minor_axes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-major_and_semi-minor_axes