P.S. I saw in the news headlines recently that Pluto is no longer a planet. This means that millions of text books are now wrong.
2006-08-26 01:09:40 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
man is to error..
2006-08-26 01:17:00 · answer #1 · answered by Redeemed 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When Pluto was first discovered back in 1930 we thought that that's it we've found a planet like the other 8. But as time went we started to learn that there are much more out there beyond the Neptune and the Pluto is not that special at all.
Now we know that there are almost uncountable amount of space rocks and icy planet-like bodies out there. So if we would have keep the Pluto in the planet club then we would have added several "planets" each year, since we get powerful telescopes by each year.
Someone here mentioned about our textbooks, well imagine to change those textbooks every year?
2006-08-29 12:32:30 · answer #2 · answered by khanzadian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question (amoung many similar less productive ones).
When Pluto was first discovered we did not have a very specific definition of a planet. We couldn't see many of the smaller objects in our solar system and thought that it was unusually large. Also we had been looking for a 9th planet and, I think, wanted it to fit the bill so we stretched it a little.
Textbooks are, honestly, almost always wrong. Our definitions of things not only change but new discoveries take some time to report and print. That is why I have to buy new textbooks every damn semester. Real scientists will not have much issue with calling Pluto by it's proper name because they know that in science things change because we learn new things so quickly.
Now we have observed that there are many larger objects in our system and realize that not all of them are alike. Pluto is rather obvioiusly part of the Kuiper belt.
2006-08-26 09:49:23 · answer #3 · answered by iMi 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi
Because up until Thursday 24 August 2006, there wasn't really any hard/ fast rule of what a planet was. But now there is one in place which gives criteria relating to the shape of the planet and its orbit, in addition to it's strength of gravity etc.
And you're right, millions of textbooks are now incorrect as Astronomers have de-classified it to a Minor Planet/ Pluton. I think this category will now include an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter called Ceres (i think), Pluto's Moon (Charon) and a Kuiper Belt object (asteroid belt just past Pluto) unofficially known as Xena.
Hope this helps... :o)
2006-08-26 13:33:28 · answer #4 · answered by simplymajik 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The International Astronomical Union have reclassified Pluto as a "dwarf" planet. But ask yourself: if a "dwarf" star is still a star, then a dwarf planet must still be a planet. They now recognise it as part of the kuiper belt, a vast population of small bodies orbiting the sun beyond Neptune. So, it's a bit like the discovery of Ceres, in the asteroid belt - they thought that was a planet when first discovered.
As a youngster, I pored over my illustrated astronomy books which contained pictures of Earth with the land mass drawn like a map, coloured green and the sea was coloured blue. Of course, later the photos of Earth as a blue and white planet, and the subsequent photos of the other planetary bodies made all our books wrong!
In today's society, Scientists are regarded as "experts". They are given the status to dispense "knowledge" to the masses according to their own institutional codes and judgements, which are often inextricably linked to the political values of the day. Unfortunately, modern science is sterile, lacking true relevance to mankind's holistic relationship with the universe.
Ours is not to question why...
2006-08-26 08:53:59 · answer #5 · answered by copperyclover 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is still a Planet but renamed a Dwarf planet along with 3 other Dwarf Planets there was going to be 12 planets as they have found 3 more but as they are small like Pluto they are down categorised and yes millions of text books and universe maps will have to be altered.
2006-08-26 08:27:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason the Pluto is no longer a planet is because the definition of what a planet is has changed. Pluto no longer meets the requirements.
2006-08-26 08:18:32 · answer #7 · answered by jonesty1284 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pluto has been degraded.sad.Text books are to be corrected.It is just foolishness.From times immemmorial,from Greek astrnomy we had 9 planets,now only 8.Wait for sometime more ,another set of scientists may reclassify Pluto as planet.
2006-08-29 05:33:23 · answer #8 · answered by leowin1948 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OOPPSS not yet, IAU said that their scientist declare the Pluto as not a planet no more. But the formal way, the Pluto is still a planet. Maybe in 2 years more the planet will be declared as something else and not our planet no more.
2006-08-26 08:51:52 · answer #9 · answered by Answer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At the time of its discovery in 1930 the observations showed Pluto merely as a point of light. It was not possible to estimate its size with any accuracy, and no-one knew at the time that there are many other similar sized trans-Neptunian objects. We now know that it is not even the largest of these.
The new definition of a planet compared to a dwarf planet, roughly stated, is that it has sufficient mass to clear its orbit of debris. Any smaller and it is debris itself.
2006-08-26 09:48:51 · answer #10 · answered by lightfoolstheway 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason the world used to be flat. Now it is round. Increased knowledge. We have the asteroid belt. Lots of rocks revolving around the sun and none of them are considered planets.
2006-08-26 08:15:03 · answer #11 · answered by regerugged 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋