Pluto orbital period reaches 248 Earth years

Pluto takes approximately 248 Earth years to complete a single orbit around the Sun. Although discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in 1930, the dwarf planet will not return to its discovery position until the year 2178.

The length of Pluto's year is due to its immense distance from the Sun, averaging about 39 astronomical units (roughly 5.8 to 5.9 billion kilometers). According to Kepler's third law, the greater the distance from the Sun, the longer the orbital period and the slower the orbital velocity.

Pluto's orbit is notably eccentric, with its distance from the Sun varying between approximately 4.44 billion and 7.37 billion kilometers. Between 1979 and 1999, Pluto was actually closer to the Sun than Neptune. However, the two bodies do not collide due to a 3:2 orbital resonance, meaning Neptune completes three orbits for every two orbits completed by Pluto.