Natural satellite been directly observed, have been called "moonlets". Small asteroid moons (natural satellites of asteroids), such as Dactyl, have also been called moonlets. The upper limit is also vague. Two orbiting bodies are sometimes described as a double planet rather than primary and satellite. Asteroids such as 90 Antiope are considered double asteroids, but they have not forced a clear definition of what constitutes a moon. Some authors consider the Pluto–Charon system to be a double (dwarf) planet. The most common dividing line on what is considered a moon rests upon whether the barycentre is below the surface of the larger
Dwarf planet finally precipitated by the discovery of an even more massive object, Eris. The exclusion of dwarf planets from the roster of planets by the IAU has been both praised and criticized; it was said to be the "right decision" by astronomer Mike Brown, who discovered Eris and other new dwarf planets, but has been rejected by Alan Stern, who had coined the term "dwarf planet" in April 1991. As of July 2008 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognizes five dwarf planets: in the asteroid belt, and Pluto, , , and in the outer Solar System. Brown criticizes this official recognition: