what makes a planet a planet? and do you feel pluto should be a planet.?

Answer 1

Can't we get through one week without another stupid Pluto question?

Answer 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

pluto does orbit the sun, is ball-shaped, does not have an isolated orbit (a bunch of other similar bodies have similar orbits.), and is not a satellite so it is not a planet.

i have been waiting for this since i was about ten when i learned that pluto didn't fit the pattern set by the major bodies in the solar system so it was an anomaly. it just felt "out of place". now that astronomers have found hundreds of other bodies with similar orbits, classifying "134340 pluto" as a planet is even more irrational. i feel somewhat satisfied, but i don't know how long this will drag on tho. many planetary astronomers are satisfied that the definition is rigorous enuf. i can accept that the definition is flawed, but i can not accept that "134340 pluto" is a planet.

this was the right thing to do, believe me. this does not change anything about pluto or the solar system. this just corrects the mistake of classifying pluto as a planet initially.

many astronomers consider pluto and charon to be a binary system, but two small bodies orbit that system. they are called nix and hydra.

incidentally, "134340 pluto" was never a moon of neptune. neptune did capture triton. this is why triton has a retrograde orbit.

Answer 3

There is no hard and fast definition for a planet. The word planet comes from Greek for wanderer, because they saw the planets as wandering stars. Since they are finding objects larger than pluto, some 3 times as far away, I believe they have to come up with another classification. Minor planet, as mentioned by another answering this question, might due, but it is not really acurate. For example, Pluto's orbit now brings it inside the orbit of Neptune. If Pluto's orbit brought it further into our solar system it might be considered a comet since it has many of the same physical characteristics as a comet. Then again, if I had wings I might be considered a bird. The point being, whatever you call it, Pluto is a frozen ball of rock and ice orbiting around our sun.

Answer 4

"to me planet is something which is round and revolve around the sun. i think that Pluto should be considered a planet, but last night on discovery i was watching this show called the last planet.... and it said that in August 2006 it is declared that Pluto is not a planet no more. it will be called a dwarf planet."

With this kind of logic, most of the asteroids, as well as beach balls orbiting the sun could be considered planets

Answer 5

to me planet is something which is round and revolve around the sun. i think that Pluto should be considered a planet, but last night on discovery i was watching this show called the last planet.... and it said that in August 2006 it is declared that Pluto is not a planet no more. it will be called a dwarf planet.

Answer 6

If Pluto were to count, we could theoretically wind up with 300 planets in the next few decades, based on Pluto's qualifications, if some educated guesses are correct.

The "minor planet" category is for the best.

Answer 7

A planet is big.
Pluto is not a planet.