2006-09-10 04:28:58 · 23 answers · asked by x1gemma1x 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Because it's a science. Determining whether Pluto is a planet helps us to better understand the other planets and our own. The better question is, why do people care more about who wore what on the red carpet than what is happening in our solar system.
2006-09-10 04:33:29 · answer #1 · answered by quack 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is because of a vital new discovery in the Khyper belt of a larger 'planet like' body that moves like a planet and is shaped like a planet.
The theory being that anything closely resembling a planet isn't always correct.
They now think that Pluto is a satellite/moon from some other larger planet but has drifted away from it.
Pluto they assume is also too small to be considered a planet.
It's all very complicated and they have produced so many theories that it's pretty much take you're pick.
There are some astronomers out there that believe it is actually a planet and they hope to prove it.
I'm not holding my breath on ever finding a definate answer to that one.
2006-09-10 04:35:45 · answer #2 · answered by Lorraine R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Science is understanding things, which means not just experiments and research but using a consistent vocabulary.
I don't think anyone would argue that a rock floating in space with no particular orbit is not a planet, or that the 4 inner planets (mercury, venus, earth and mars) are planets because they are large objects with somewhat circular orbits, or that comets which are essentially dirty snowballs with extremely elliptical orbits are not planets.
Pluto is a problem because its orbit is so eliptical and as we discover more objects similar to it the vocabulary of what we called "planets" expands to describe it differently from what we know as planets.
2006-09-10 04:34:27 · answer #3 · answered by Michael T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the past there's never been a formal definition of what makes a "thing orbiting a star" count as a "planet". As they're finding other solar systems with new powerful telescopes, they want to classify them, so they decided they need a formal definition. Any reasonable definition either excludes Pluto or includes many other things orbiting our own sun.
2006-09-10 04:32:05 · answer #4 · answered by hslayer 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
okay those who fight against don't get it. a space organization declared a definite definition of a planet, which is a body of mass that is not a star and can sustain it's own form of gravity. but pluto at times depends on neptune's. so pluto is sort of like a really far away moon for neptune or it's just a body of mass in space.
2006-09-10 04:35:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its because of the size of pluto and now that they have found what they call new planets that are bigger than pluto, they are debating if they can really call pluto a planet.
2006-09-10 04:32:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi.
Try not to lose sleep over it. The scientific community aren't happy unless they're arguing with eachother.
If I was a resident of Pluto and told that my house value had dropped because it wasn't on a Planet anymore,I'd be straight on the phone to give Saturn a ring.......
Anyway,they're on about re-classifying Earth as a dump.
2006-09-10 07:26:44 · answer #7 · answered by misterviv 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they have new data that suggests it is not planet sized and smaller than some other planets moons, so after centuries of space study they have decided to down grade it.
2006-09-10 04:39:57 · answer #8 · answered by camshy0078 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two reasons why they are debating at all it is so that the older scientists can prove they're not wrong and the new ones can prove there right.
And so that people have to buy more science books as the bottom was falling out of the market....
2006-09-10 04:37:30 · answer #9 · answered by lost my mojo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because it's so Small and Icy, it's never a real planet not like Jupiter. Now that's what I call a planet.
2006-09-10 04:31:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋