Pluto is our solar systems most mysterious planet. Similar to how Neptune was found due to a query with the orbit of Uranus, Pluto was discovered due to a similar query with Neptune's orbit. It was actually photographed twice in the early 1900's, but simply overlooked. Pluto was discovered by a young farm boy in 1930, who continued a professional astronomer's work after he had passed away and the projects funds had dwindled. He became the third person in our history to discover a planet.

Its name 'Pluto' was first suggested by a young schoolgirl, and after much debate, it was agreed by all to name it after the ancient Roman God of the Underworld, since it resided furthest from the Sun, in the darkness of space. 'Pluto' also had a relevance to the letters 'PL', the initials of the late astronomer who pioneered its discovery. Pluto is classified as a 'dwarf planet'. In mass terms, Earth is about 500 times larger.

It may be small, but Pluto's density is heavy. Its surface is mainly rock, water ice, and a small overlay of frozen methane. The planets surface appears as violet with little whitecaps which are most likely methane. It is the only planet with a surface that evaporates when closest to the Sun in orbit, only to solidify again once it travels away. An affect most likely due to its unusual, oval shaped and tilted orbit. It actually travels past Neptune's orbit line for around 20 years out of its 248 year orbit of the Sun. These two planets should never collide however, as they seem to have formed a mutual pattern that works for them both. In a unique way, the two farthest planets of our solar system are locked together.

Pluto's largest satellite is Charon. The two planets have been referred to as 'binary planets' due to them being very similar in size, more so than any other planet/moon combination in the solar system. They could well be described as a double planet system. Charon was named in accordance with Greek mythology, after the boatman who carried the souls from the world of the living to the underworld. A likely assistant for Pluto, the God!

Both Pluto and Charon have been considered asteroids in the past, but they both carry the trademark crater scars that most planets have. Pluto and its satellite Charon seem to work with each other however. They are only about 20,000 kilometers away from each other. Because they are so close together, a tidal influence has locked them into their spin and orbit patterns. It appears a very balanced union really, even black and white in a way. They both spin in opposite directions to each other, and never reveal the other side of their respective planets to the other.

If we imagine our moon being about 20 times closer, then we can picture just how big the ice covered Charon would look from Pluto's surface. As glorious as it sounds, we now have to imagine the same image and keep it. Due to the two being locked into their exact opposite orbits, the view of Charon would never change. It would be like a huge, icy full moon presiding next to us, always in the same spot, with no setting or rising.