Pluto has never completed a full orbit since it was discovered in 1930
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Pluto takes 248 Earth years to orbit the Sun once. It was discovered on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. As of 2024, Pluto has only travelled about 38% of the way around its orbit since humans first spotted it. It will complete its first full observed orbit in the year 2178 — long after everyone alive today has died. Pluto was also demoted to dwarf planet in 2006, adding insult to temporal injury.
We found Pluto, watched it for 94 years, and it still hasn't lapped the Sun once. We will not live to see it do so.
The Science Behind It
Pluto takes 248 Earth years to orbit the Sun once. It was discovered on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. As of 2024, Pluto has only travelled about 38% of the way around its orbit since humans first spotted it. It will complete its first full observed orbit in the year 2178 — long after everyone alive today has died. Pluto was also demoted to dwarf planet in 2006, adding insult to temporal injury.
Why Your Brain Finds This Hard to Believe
OddlyHuman Editorial
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Read our Editorial Guidelines →“Pluto has never completed a full orbit since we discovered it. We won't live to see it do so.”