is pluto a planet?

Answer 1

Until the International naming committee gets it's act together and reinstates it to it's rightful place. Clyde Tombaugh deserves his rightful place as well as the discover of the Planet Pluto!

Answer 2

According to the International Astronomical Union, Pluto is no more a classical planet but a "dwarf planet". This is mainly because the center of masses of Pluto and Caronte, its moon, is outside of the Pluto sphere.

I think it has been an unfair decision whith respect to USA people, for Pluto was the only planet discovered by US astronomers. But sometimes science needs to be hard, in order to clarify concepts.

Pluto is no more a planet, but a 'dwarf planet', as stated by a recent astronomers agreement (Praga IAU meeting, august 2006) to precisely define the terms of solar system bodies, now that a lot of are known and will be known thank to probes, telescopes, etc. Here down are the specs:

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"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) shape2,
(c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and
(d) is not a satellite.

(3) All other objects3, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies".

1The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
2An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories.
3These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.

RESOLUTION 5B
Insert the word "classical" before the word "planet" in Resolution 5A, Section (1), and footnote 1. Thus reading:

(1) A classical "planet"1 is a celestial body . . .

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

Answer 3

Pluto is a planet if you want it to be a planet. Don't let a bunch of old fogeys with nothing better to do than to argue about the status of a rocky ball of ice throw a wrench into your monkey works.

Answer 4

Yes, Pluto is a planet again. Late last year, scientists deemed that it was not a planet, but because of world outrage at the decision, they decided to keep it as a planet.

Answer 5

It is now classified as a "dwarf planet" because it doesn't meet the criteria the IAU has set forth. Here is the exact wording from http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/plutopage.html:

1) A "planet"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)
shape2 , (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d)
is not a satellite.

Answer 6

not anymore. they were about to add a 10th planet to our solar system, but they changed the rules as to what a planet is (size and orbit). pluto was lost as a planet due to the fact its orbit intersects with neptune.

Answer 7

At this point, no, in a few years, most likely yes, then probably no again. Depends on the definition of 'Planet'.

Answer 8

Its not a real planet anymore, but i believe it is a dwarf planet now

Answer 9

I think Pluto is actually a dog.

Answer 10

It's a planet because i say it is!