how may planets are there in our solar system?

Answer 1

And then there were eight.

In the end, Pluto just didn't make the grade. After years of discussion, the International Astronomical Union voted in August 2006 on a redefinition of "planet" that, in a manner of speaking, turned the clock back to 1930 — when our solar system was composed of eight constituents: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Pluto was relegated by the IAU to the new category of dwarf planets, where it keeps company with Ceres and UB313, nicknamed Xena.

Answer 2

There are currently (May 2007) eight officially designated Planets.
When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was in about the right place , had a somewhat eccentric, but acceptable orbit and based on its reflected light, appeared to have a sufficient size to be called a "Planet" and so it was generally agreed that it was # 9, both by position and date.

Seventy years later the telescopes had improved greatly and it was discovered that Pluto was not a "He"; it was a "They".
Pluto had a dancing partner, "Charon" and two little moons as well. The combined light reflected from the whole set had made Pluto appear larger than he actually was.
Beside that, other solar orbiting bodies were being discovered and a few Asteroids were also found to be quite large. Then someone said. "What is , is, - - a Planet ?" Oh dear, the bearded men in the white frocks of the IAU had never even had a definition for what constituted a Planet in the first place. So last year they went about to make an official description.

When they were done in October, 2006, Pluto was in the dog house because he did not fit the IAU definition and he (they) was (were) no longer an official "Planet".
But the little pair, Pluto and Charon can continue to do their cosmic tango by some other little name.

Answer 3

8. Pluto was downgraded because when you look at what else has been discovered, Pluto is simply no longer unique. There are many bodies in the solar system which are large: Ceres, Sedna, UB313, and many other asteroids (rocky, between mars and jupiter), and Kuiper belt objects (dirt and ice, outside of Neptune). If Pluto is included, then so many others would have to be as well, and we'd have an endlessly growing list of 'planets'.

Answer 4

8

Answer 5

8

Answer 6

Under IAU definitions, there are eight planets in the Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and also at least three dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, and Eris). Many of these planets are orbited by one or more moons, which can be larger than small planets. There have also been more than two hundred planets discovered orbiting other stars.[3] Planets are generally divided into two main types: large, low-density gas giants and smaller, rocky terrestrials. Dwarf planets, a separate category, can either be terrestrials or frozen ice dwarfs.

Answer 7

8

Answer 8

As determined by the International Astronomical Union, there are officially 8 planets in our solar system.

Answer 9

If you count Pluto there are 9 planets and if you do not count Pluto then there are 8 planets in our solar system as of today.

Answer 10

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Pluto recently got demoted. I think (am not sure) a new planet was discovered. So, it is either 8 or 9.