The primary differences between planets and dwarf planets are orbital dominance and size. Planets are generally sphere-shaped masses of rock or gas tightly compressed into an atmosphere. The rotate around the sun and have a variety of rotating schedules, atmosphere pressure, materials, and climates. Some planets orbit around stars or even other larger plantes that have a strong gravitational pull, but the most well-known planets orbit around the sun, which holds 99% of the solar system's mass.
Dwarf planets can be similar to planets in composition but are much smaller and thus have much smaller gravitational pulls. Most dwarf planets contain ice composed of frozen water and nitrogen. One well-known dwarf planet is Pluto, which used to be considered a planet but was categorized as a dwarf planet in August 24, 2006.
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