Pluto is significantly smaller than Earth. Here are some key comparisons:
Diameter: The equatorial diameter of Earth is approximately 12,742 kilometers (7,918 miles), while the diameter of Pluto is about 2,376 kilometers (1,476 miles). This means Earth's diameter is roughly five times larger than that of Pluto.
Mass: Earth is approximately 81 times more massive than Pluto. Earth's mass is about 5.97 x 10^24 kilograms, whereas Pluto's mass is roughly 7.35 x 10^22 kilograms.
Surface area: Earth's surface area is about 510.1 million square kilometers (196.9 million square miles), while Pluto's surface area is only about 16.6 million square kilometers (6.4 million square miles). Therefore, Earth's surface area is roughly 31 times larger than that of Pluto.
As for why people perceive Pluto as small, it's mainly due to its relatively small size compared to the terrestrial planets in our solar system like Earth. When Pluto was first discovered in 1930, it was initially thought to be larger than it actually is. However, further observations and the discovery of other objects in its vicinity led to its reclassification as a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006.
Additionally, Pluto's distance from Earth, its remote location in the outer regions of the solar system, and its relatively low visibility also contribute to the perception of its small size.