Is Pluto still a planet in your opinion?

Question

This is from a recent yahoo news article.

"Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."

Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's."

Am I the only one who sees the problem with this reasoning? Doesn't neptune's orbit therefore ALSO!?! cross with pluto's...and wouldn't that disqualify it as well?

While I agree that pluto travels in an elliptical orbit, if Earth or Jupiter did also, would that declassify them? I think it's highly doubtful.

Answer 1

Just let it be a planet. They've been calling it one for years, dammit. Why change it now?

Answer 2

Another difference is that Pluto does not orbit in a more or less level plane as the rest of the planets (including Neptune) do.

Answer 3

it really is no longer a remember of opinion, that is a remember of clinical actuality. Pluto, once called a planet, is now categorised as a ..... oh wait, if I inform then you i need the grade you're meant to be getting for this project. in case you may not do this, then you fairly might want to do your own homework.

Answer 4

Yes I agree with you if Pluto is disqualified, Neptune's should be as well. Technically it is still a planet but it is called a drawf planet now. What makes me mad is it was left up to only 25 people to decide. They should of used more people.

Answer 5

No, Pluto is NOT a Planet.

In my opinion (and that of the majority of the astronomers of the world) It is better classified now as a dwarf planet.

Personally, I think Pluto should be called only a TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object ) and not give it the distinction of being called a dwarf planet. It is NOT a planet, why call it a dwarf planet, it just creates a confusion.

We also should rename the element Plutonium and called it Trans-Neptunianium instead ;-)

Answer 6

Whether they changed it or not... I will always consider it a planet. It is very hard to unlearn something that has been beaten into your head sense 2nd grade.

I agree if they disqualify Plut for that reasoning then Neptune should be out too...

*Sigh*

Answer 7

I for one am thrilled that Pluto has been demoted. It used to be a moon of Neptune, and it is smaller than many other moons in our system.

Answer 8

Well, who cares what a bunch of elitist European astronomers think? We've been calling Pluto a planet for almost eighty years, and this "ruling" isn't going to change many minds, at least right now. My vote is for Pluto's right to planethood.

Answer 9

i think im too old to argue on whether there are 9 or 8 planets now in the solar system. i'll leave it to the young ones to figure that out and just wait for further announcements.

it took me years to remember the 9 planets and their positions. i have yet to memorize the moons around the planets and now they're dropping Pluto from the list.

Answer 10

No. It always seemed a little sketchy to call it a planet for me to begin with. Then years ago I found out that, like the metric system, the U.S. was really the only country teaching kids that there were 9 planets in our solar system. So considering the new technology to see smaller and more distant objects. I think it's a good that scientists have come to a consensus. Though categories of things will always have discrepancies and such.

Answer 11

All these pretentious jerks. Why do they get to decide what is a planet and what isn't. Their reasoning is flawed, as suggested by the question. I was taught that Pluto was the ninth planet, and it always will be to me. Jerks.