Does it really matter if Pluto is no longer classified as a planet?

Question

I mean really, if it is demoted, what will that change? It will still be Pluto. It will still be there. And if other "planets" do join our current nine, so what?

Answer 1

If Pluto gets demoted, only the professional astronomers and planetologists, etc are going to care. For the rest of us, as you began to say, hey, its still there, hasn't changed a bit, didn't grow an atmosphere in the meantime and so on. Sometimes you have to ignore the foolishness and keep the big picture in mind. It's there, period.

Answer 2

No one really knows about Pluto and its very little details.Anyway they shouldnt make Pluto a 'no-longer-a-planet'.There is very little Little chance that its not a planet anymore.NO ONE KNOWS if Pluto is really a real planet.They dont have PROOF that PLuto is really a piece of frozen rock out there just orbiting around the Sun.There is a lot of things we dont know about our own Solar System.It seems like the more the planets the more the work to research.No one seems to know that maybe there used to be a planet where the Astroid Belt is now some books say that some dont theres a big difference some people say that Pluto is not a planet but the moon Charon is....I dont know why.So there could be a planet out there that was really the planet...Not Pluto

Answer 3

Yes, it does.

If Pluto is no longer classified as a planet, it means millions of people have been mislead for the past 76 years by Scientists in the field. It means the objectivity of Science will come into question. It means the facts in many text books become falsehood or erroneous. It means models, software, documentaries, etc needs to be updated at a financial cost. It means students need to un-learn and re-learn the new so called "facts". Credibility is at stake and money and time is lost. It means some people died believing in the wrong thing, to stretch it a little further. That is Science for you, no apology if you are mislead. All you get is a new definition.

Answer 4

I saw an expert on TV who gave a pretty good answer. He said too much emphasis is given on the planets. If they expand the definition of the planets, to the point there are 50 or more planets, then teachers won't be able to simply cover the nine planets and call it done. Children will need to learn there is much more complexity in the solar system and the universe. I think this is a good thing, especially if it leads to fewer people who are hoodwinked by astrology and other ridiculous pseudo-sciences. Americans are far too easily fooled by con artists, and their poor lack of science knowledge is a leading cause.

Answer 5

Your question should be: Does it matter to me that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet? If you are not an astronomer or afficiando on the subject, or are in the middle of making a 10 foot tall planet sculpture out of your hedges, well no, it does not matter at all.

Answer 6

No! It doesn't really matters. Actually most of the scientists believe that pluto is still a planet. They regard the new object called 2003 UB 313 as a kuiper belt object and not as a planet.

Answer 7

Only to students who have to learn the planets' names.

Answer 8

Of course not. People will just have to learn a bit more about the details of the solar system.

Answer 9

Yes it does. Oh maybe not to us, but to the millions of space people that call it home it does. Now I'm all upset and going to bed Bye.

Answer 10

Technically, it doesn't matter, because us astrology fans have been factoring in the influences of other heavenly bodies (e.g, Charon) for decades...