2006-09-29 06:00:01 · 15 answers · asked by Kitty 1 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
yes, really, pluto is not a planet. some consider pluto and charon to be a binary system, but two small bodies orbit this system. they are called nix and hydra. this does not change anything about the solar system or pluto. it just corrects the mistake of classifying pluto as a planet initially.
http://www.iau.org/fileadmin/content/pdfs/Resolution_GA26-5-6.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto
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 so it is a dwarf planet.
this same thing has happened before. beginning in 1800, astronomers found a few bodies orbiting between the orbits of mars and jupiter, and they finally stopped calling them planets after several discoveries. astronomers then added numerals to the names, and pluto recently got its numeral. 150 years from now, no one will think of "134340 pluto" as a planet. very few will even know we classified it as a planet. "1 ceres" and "136199 eris" are other dwarf planets.
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 and "out of place". this was the right thing to do, believe me. i don't understand why so many are having such a problem with this.
i don't know how long this will drag on tho. many planetary scientists are not satisfied that the definition is rigorous enough.
2006-09-29 12:33:16 · answer #1 · answered by warm soapy water 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pluto, the last planet to join the heavenly pantheon, became the first to leave it. The status of Pluto had been under discussion for some time, but with the discovery of 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena, the question became acute, for it seemingly had as much right as Pluto to be called a planet.
On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union surprised the world by voting in a new definition of planet, one that would exclude Pluto and bring the total number down to eight. (There had previously been been strong speculation that the redefinition would bring the total up to 12 instead of down.)
Pluto was instead classified as a dwarf planet, along with Ceres and the aforementioned Xena. The main difference between a dwarf planet and the real thing is that the dwarf variety has not cleared the area of its orbital path.
This redefinition met with a wave of protests from those who wanted to see the ninth planet grandfathered in, including but not limited to supporters of the late Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930. His widow, however, said he would have been accepting of the IAU's decision since "he was a scientist" and understood that astronomers had to take into account newly discovered objects in the Kuiper Belt (where Pluto is located).
But opponents of Pluto's demotion remain unconsoled and have generated a thriving industry in T-shirts, mugs and other memorabilia. Among the many slogans of this movement was one which played on the mnemonic for the names of the erstwhile nine:
2006-09-29 23:39:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes thats true. Apparently, there are many of these so called 'planets' orbiting the sun and so the space scientists decided that pluto cannot be singled out anymore for special treatment and so dropped it's planets status.
2006-09-29 06:03:11 · answer #3 · answered by kkre3975 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It was considered a planet, though a rather odd one, from its discovery in 1930 until 2006, it was officially stripped of its status as our solar system's 9th planet by the International Astronomical Union in August 2006.
Pluto is now officially classified as a dwarf planet. It is one of the largest members of a class of icy spheres known as Kuiper Belt Objects.
2006-09-29 06:22:00 · answer #4 · answered by yellow 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. It's a "dwarf planet". The word "planet" has just been defined and Pluto didn't make the cut. But if "planet" was so-defined as to include Pluto, it would have been necessary to classify many, many other objects as "planets".
2006-09-29 06:13:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
From what I hear they wanted to, but then decided that Pluto would be the minimum standard for what a planet is.
So for now it is still a planet.
For those of you that think I am wrong....try the link below.
It is now what is considered a Pluton, or double planet along with its "moon" Charon. Including this in the planet definition there are now 12 planets and could be more.
Later....
Looks like my info was old...if it was declared a dwarf planet AFTER the initial idea of including it and several others, then I admit my error....oh well, not my first, definitely no my last.
2006-09-29 06:03:56 · answer #6 · answered by ADF 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Pluto has been down graded to a planetoid (almost planet).
2006-09-29 06:09:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes indeed for official but few third world countries still refuse to change and to remain pluto for geometric, foresight telling, horoscope, tradition and so on.
2006-09-29 06:14:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, a bunch of scientists got together and decided it didn't meet the criteria of a planet.
2006-09-29 06:04:53 · answer #9 · answered by smartypants909 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Correct. Downgraded and given a number.
2006-09-29 06:02:00 · answer #10 · answered by joeiacovino 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋