Was Pluto really demoted?

Question

If it was really demoted then what is it's classification? Why was it changed? Is there a name for the new planet that was found yet?

matahari: I have two jobs and just recently took time off to caught up on current and not so current events.

Answer 1

The International Astronomical Union decided that Pluto was no longer a planet. The reason is that while Pluto is round, orbits the sun, and has three moons, it has not cleared (via gravity) its own orbit of debris. Instead, they decided to classify it as a "dwarf planet".

See the details below.

RESOLUTION 5A
The IAU therefore resolves that "planets" and other bodies in our Solar System, except satellites, be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:

(1) A "planet" [footnote 1] is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

(2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [footnote 2] , (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

(3) All other objects [footnote 3] except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar-System Bodies".


Footnote 1: The eight "planets" are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Footnote 2: An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories.

Footnote 3: These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.

RESOLUTION 6A
The IAU further resolves:

Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects.

Answer 2

Pluto is principally ice. this is orbiting trend is extra setting up of a comet, by way of fact it would not proceed to be in this is particular spot to be a planet (i.e. Earth is often the third planet away, Mars the 4th, etc.). Pluto's orbit trend brings it in front of Neptune periodically. This orbiting habit is exactly what a comet does. besides the fact that, by way of Pluto's length, this is the 1st comet got here upon to incorporate this is own ideal ecosystem, and that would not shed itself off at a cost seen to the human eye (the tail you spot while a comet is flying during the sky). That function is exactly what an asteroid has. So particularly, there's no longer a type for Pluto yet. The asteroid that grew to become a planet is meant to be 2 circumstances the dimensions of Pluto, thoroughly rocky, and orbits in a typical trend (as long by way of fact the persons at NASA did their math superb).

Answer 3

Pluto is now a dwarf planet, and rightly so. It is actually a Kuiper belt object, one of thousands or even millions of bodies of leftover material drifting around in the far reaches of the solar system. If Pluto remained classified as a planet, so would more and more of those as they get discovered.

Pluto's orbit is also way out of whack with the major planets, being tilted out of our orbital plane and also getting closer to the sun then Neptune for part of its year. Even its discovery was by sheer accident, as it just happened to be in the predicted position at the time but did not have enough mass to explain why Neptune's orbit was not quite as it was expected to be.

Pluto's story is an interesting blip in the history of astronomy, nothing more.

Answer 4

It has been "demoted" to the status of dwarf planet. The asteroid Ceres was promoted to the same status. Previously known as "Xena" for "Planet X" where X is the Roman numeral for 10, Eris is the third dwarf planet. Sedna is a proposed dwarf planet, undergoing review.

Answer 5

Yes

Answer 6

Yes, it was reclassified as a dwarf planet several months ago. Where have you been?

No offense meant.

Answer 7

Demotion is strictly a definition,maybe it would like it better that way!

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

Yup...

Check one of the articles:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060824_planet_definition.html