Pluto takes about 248 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This means one year on Pluto is roughly 248 Earth years long
. Its orbit is quite different from the planets: it is more elliptical (eccentricity of about 0.25) and inclined about 17 degrees relative to the plane in which most planets orbit (the ecliptic)
. Pluto’s distance from the Sun varies between about 30 and 49 astronomical units (AU), with 1 AU being the average distance from Earth to the Sun
. In summary:
- Orbital period (Pluto year): ~248 Earth years
- Orbital shape: elliptical with eccentricity ~0.25
- Orbital inclination: ~17 degrees to the ecliptic
- Distance from Sun: 30 to 49 AU
This long orbital period means Pluto moves very slowly around the Sun compared to the inner planets. Its orbit also crosses inside Neptune’s orbit for about 20 years in each cycle but a stable resonance prevents collisions
