So Pluto has been officially demoted. If it's no longer a planet.....what is it?
2006-08-24 03:01:06 · 9 answers · asked by fendor 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Pluto is no longer a planet.
The International Astronomical Union approved new guidelines Thursday that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.
The leading astronomers, meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since 1930, when it was discovered.
In doing so, the group provided a new definition of what is and what isn't a planet.
Pluto failed to make the new cut because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's. It will now be a founding member of the new class of "dwarf planets."
The guidelines also require plants to have enough mass that they are close to round.
Astronomers have been trying to draw a distinction between the eight "classical planets" -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune -- and Pluto, which is smaller than Earth's moon and has an eccentric orbit.
2006-08-24 03:49:19 · answer #1 · answered by casey_leftwich 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, the IAU ("international astronomy union" which is the offical astronomy source) is about to vote on whether Pluto and two other planet-like objects (Ceres and 2003UB313) are planets. There will be two catagories of planets: classical planets which is Mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune. The other catagory is plutons, which is best defined by the IAU's definition (pasted in)
Plutons are distinguished from classical planets in that they reside in orbits around the Sun that take longer than 200 years to complete (i.e. they orbit beyond Neptune). Plutons typically have orbits that are highly tilted with respect to the classical planets (technically referred to as a large orbital inclination). Plutons also typically have orbits that are far from being perfectly circular (technically referred to as having a large orbital eccentricity). All of these distinguishing characteristics for plutons are scientifically interesting in that they suggest a different origin from the classical planets.
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In the final resolution (the second link) plutons are "dwarf planets."
The links may take time to load
2006-08-24 03:03:13 · answer #2 · answered by rayofdarkness 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They will want to call it a Kyper Belt object, but I think Pluto is a planet, its gravity is stronger than the material it is comprised of, meaning its round, and it orbits the sun. Scientist schmientist....There I made the call.
2006-08-24 03:05:21 · answer #3 · answered by seriouslycuteguy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a dwarf planet, and the prototype for "plutonian objects," dwarf planets in trans-Neptunian orbits.
2006-08-24 03:03:07 · answer #4 · answered by DavidK93 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pluto is a planet.
2006-08-24 03:07:18 · answer #5 · answered by lomatar1186 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a mini planet. "Dwarf" is offensive. Just Kidding.
2006-08-24 13:53:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a frakin planet
2006-08-24 03:12:47 · answer #7 · answered by Ironball 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"drawf planet" along with other small celestial bodies
2006-08-24 04:04:56 · answer #8 · answered by sweetu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A rock.
2006-08-24 03:03:16 · answer #9 · answered by JeffE 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋