Pluto

Astronomical Facts

Average Distance from Sun (Earth = 1.0): 39.5
Radius (Earth radii): 0.2
Number of known Moons: 1
Rotation Period (length of day): 6.4 days (backwards)
Revolutionary Period (length of year): 248.4 years
Mass (Earth masses): 0.003
Density (g/cm3): 2.0

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. Pluto's orbit is very elongated and has an eccentricity of 0.25, and the inclination of its orbit to the ecliptic plane is 17.2 degrees. In non-technical terms, this means that Pluto's orbit is very egg-shaped; orbits of all other planets are much closer to being circular. Also, Pluto's orbit varies more from the plane of other planets.

Some astronomers point out that Pluto's orbit is similar to that of a comet; Pluto is viewed by some astronomers as having some characteristics of a comet and some of a planet. Pluto's orbit is so elliptical that Pluto sometimes moves within the orbit of Neptune so that it is closer to the Sun than Neptune is. Pluto is a tiny planet with a diameter of only 2,300 kilometers. Pluto has one moon, which was discovered in 1978, and is named Charon. Charon has a diameter of 1,300 kilometers in diameter, over half the diameter of Pluto, and Charon's mass is about 1/6 that of Pluto, making it the largest moon-to-planet ratio in the solar system; in other words, Charon is not a large Moon but it is relatively large for the planet it revolves around, Pluto.

Astrological Meaning

The planet Pluto represents the dark underground part of you. It shows your ability to transform the most fundamental properties in your own inner nature. The sign of Pluto is the way the obsessive, compulsive and committed part of your nature expresses itself. The house placement of Pluto shows the area of life where you make your most fundamental and most potent changes.

The aspects to Pluto show the deepest most unconscious links in your personality structure.

Historical Myth & Legend

The planet Pluto was named after the Roman god Pluto, who was nearly identical to the Greek god Hades. Hades ruled the underworld, which was also called Hades. The underworld is a place beneath the earth's surface where dead souls go. Virtuous souls lived in Elysium, a beautiful and happy place, and evil souls went to hellish Tartarus to suffer. Hades was generally grim and cold, but not extremely painful.

The planet Pluto draws out feelings that are deep within a person, and can make a person compulsive or fanatical, and often brings up deep-rooted problems, that can be addressed, dealt with, healed, and perfected; many astrologers refer to Pluto as a planet of transformation and regeneration because it gives the opportunity to change old, habitual attitudes.

Although the planet Pluto was discovered in the 20th century, and given its name by astronomers, not astrologers, the myth of Pluto does symbolically present some of the major astrological themes of Pluto; the Roman god Pluto rules the underworld, and the planet Pluto brings out deep issues embedded in our "psychological underworld".The symbol given to the right is the symbol of one of the eight hypothetical planets, Hades, used in Uranian astrology.