What is the big deal surrounding the reclassification of Pluto?

Question

Why does anyone really care?

Answer 1

People seem to have become emotionally attached to a lump of rock and a mnemonic to remember the names of the planets by, Quite why eludes me.

Answer 2

The few hundred astronomers who are actively working on theory and observations of planet formation care. There are now about 150 known planets around 130 or so stars, and being clear about what is and is not a planet is important for thinking about these systems and the theory of their formation. So the definition of "planet" was refined, to avoid confusion. This new definition had the side effect of reclassifying Pluto.

The reason it's a big deal is that lots of people who are not astronomers are interested in the planets, and part of this interest is a small emotional investment in the planets as beloved objects. So the demotion of Pluto was a bit of a pluck on the heartstrings. It's a little like discovering that the "Brontosaurus", my favorite dinosaur, was a mistake and never really existed.

Answer 3

i have been waiting for this since i was about twelve. i feel somewhat satisfied. i knew that pluto didn't fit the pattern set by the major bodies in the solar system so it was an anomaly. it just felt illogical. this was the right thing to do, believe me. i don't understand why so many are having such a problem with this. this does not change anything about the solar system or pluto. it just corrects the mistake of classifying pluto as a planet initially.

i don't know how long this will drag on tho. many planetary scientists are not satisfied that the definition is not rigorous enough.

because pluto orbits the sun, is round, does not have an isolated orbit (a bunch of other similar bodies have similar orbits.), and is not a satellite it is a dwarf planet.

Answer 4

actually it is a very BIG deal. You see, Pluto was just like a chunk of ice orbiting the the sun, didn't have any special form, nothing. f we were to classify Pluto as a planet, how many more hundreds of chunks of ice orbiting the sun would we find?? A LOT!! So, they figured, its no use. Its bitter sweet deal. I mean it does suck that we only have 8 planets now, but im not forgetting about Pluto any time soon.

Answer 5

It is more like 205 planets revolving around 170+ stars, now as the numbers keep going up by 20 or more a year, but the point is a good one that we want consistency between how we classify objects in our solar system and how we classify objects in other solar systems and that is why the IAU was moved to act. Some of those 170 stars are now known to contain asteroid belts, so caution over what constitutes a planet became very necessary.

Answer 6

There are two main reasons for this. First - since 1930 when Pluto was discovered as a planet, generations of people have memorized it as the ninth planet. Secondly - they say that many school children "identify" with Pluto, as being small, cold, and "way out there"-!! In other words -- it is Human Nature-!!

Answer 7

This is the last time im answering this question. Pluto had to be decided because scientists were finding more and more planets every day and if they had to call pluto a planet then they would have to call the other lumps of rocks planets too. So get over it.

Answer 8

well the teachers and manufactioners will, they have to give out all new text books!! but no, i dont think anyone truley cares that much. in fact it will be much easier memorizing the planets now.

Answer 9

Old news. can we PLEASE move on. Who cares?

Next you'll be asking "What came first, the chicken or the egg".