2006-09-13 00:48:11 · 6 answers · asked by aice 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
If you mean government politics, then no. If you mean public pressure to keep Pluto a planet, then yes. Fortunately, reason and science prevailed and Pluto is now correctly not considered a planet. The only reason it was originally called a planet was because we thought it was larger than Mars and didn't know about any of the other small objects in strange orbits out past Neptune. Now we know it is smaller than the Moon, as are many other objects in strange orbits out past Neptune, and we have successfully overcome the public pressure to keep calling Pluto a planet.
2006-09-13 02:23:34 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, the question on calling Pluto a planet was debated since it was first discovered. But it remained a planet the past 70 years because nothing else out there so far discovered was that big. There was no reason to change it's status.
This changed in 2003 when Mike Brown at Caltech discovered UB 313 aka Xena. Its orbit is farther out and its size is slightly bigger than Pluto. So since, it was bigger, it should be a planet also. But the problem is that Xena's orbit is way out there in the Kuiper Belt and some people think it's a Kuiper Belt object and not a planet. Well, if it is not a planet, then Pluto shouldn't be either since it is a Kuiper Belt object as well.
A few other large objects were also found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter like Ceres. They aren't as big as Pluto though. So don't put all the blame on Mike Brown for starting up all the ruckus.
No politics, just science progressing.
2006-09-13 11:11:25 · answer #2 · answered by mmmodem123 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not on your life was the decision of Pluto influenced by politics.
2006-09-13 08:11:20 · answer #3 · answered by bprice215 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. it was influenced by common sense. Pluto is just a little dead rock outside the solar system. Americans called it a 'planet' just because they discovered it.
2006-09-13 08:34:50 · answer #4 · answered by Lozzo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They said that Pluto was no longer a planet because it was too small. They said that on the news
2006-09-13 07:52:23 · answer #5 · answered by Jordan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pluto isnt even a planet,its like a trillion miles out and as big as a baseball
2006-09-13 08:50:43 · answer #6 · answered by john doe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋