<p>Every Dwarf planet is a minor planet, but not the other way around. Note that the green (Dwarf planet) and violet (Minor planet) boxes are not identical: the minor planets cover a lot of small bodies - bodies too small to be considered a dwarf planet (thus lacking hydrostatic equilibrium).</p>
<p>The small difference at the top left of the boxes might be that Pluto used to be a planet (and not minor planet) until that very date when the definition of dwarf planet was approved and Pluto demoted to its proper place of Dwarf planet by the assembly - and at the same time the usage of 'minor planet' was discontinued.</p>
<p>From the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planet" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia page</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Before 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially used the term minor planet, but during that year's meeting it reclassified minor planets and comets into dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies (SSSBs)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-04T23:36:56.660Z
Another possible reason for the apparently larger box for Dwarf Planets is just to make room for the text “Dwarf Planets.”
Pierre Paquette
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-04T09:28:45.087Z
2021-10-04T10:50:24.903Z
2021-10-04T10:50:24.903Z
planetmaker
<p><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Euler_diagram_of_solar_system_bodies.svg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This diagram</a> makes it look like there are dwarf planets that aren't minor planets. Is this indeed the case, or am I misreading the diagram? If there are dwarf planets that aren't minor planets, what are they like?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-05T10:14:43.030Z
It's a diagram from a Wikipedia article. You have to take such things with a huge grain of salt.
David Hammen
<nomenclature>
Are there dwarf planets that aren't minor planets?
usernumber
# Are there dwarf planets that aren't minor planets?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-04)

[This diagram](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Euler_diagram_of_solar_system_bodies.svg) makes it look like there are dwarf planets that aren't minor planets. Is this indeed the case, or am I misreading the diagram? If there are dwarf planets that aren't minor planets, what are they like?

**Tags:** nomenclature

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's a diagram from a Wikipedia article. You have to take such things with a huge grain of salt.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-10-04. Score: 3

Every Dwarf planet is a minor planet, but not the other way around. Note that the green (Dwarf planet) and violet (Minor planet) boxes are not identical: the minor planets cover a lot of small bodies - bodies too small to be considered a dwarf planet (thus lacking hydrostatic equilibrium).

The small difference at the top left of the boxes might be that Pluto used to be a planet (and not minor planet) until that very date when the definition of dwarf planet was approved and Pluto demoted to its proper place of Dwarf planet by the assembly - and at the same time the usage of 'minor planet' was discontinued.

From the [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planet):

> Before 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially used the term minor planet, but during that year's meeting it reclassified minor planets and comets into dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies (SSSBs)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Another possible reason for the apparently larger box for Dwarf Planets is just to make room for the text “Dwarf Planets.”  

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