i heard its a dwarf now what does it mean.
2007-06-18 04:21:36 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The criteria for planets was redefined and Pluto didn't meet them. It's too small, for one. Honestly I think the only reason it's called a dwarf planet now is to ease the blow to all of us that it's really just a rock in space.
2007-06-18 04:25:44 · answer #1 · answered by Cat 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It has been reclassified as a dwarf planet because we recently made a more accurate measurement of its size and found it was much smaller than previously thought. It is smaller than the Moon. This measurement was possible because Pluto passed in front of a distant star and we could time how long the star was hidden behind the planet and then use the known distance of orbital speed of Pluto to calculate an exact size.
It may surprise you to know that we could not measure its size more accurately with the the large telescopes available today, but we can't. It is just too far away for even the Hubble telescope to see clearly. Yes, I know Hubble sees things billions of times farther away all the time, but those things are whole galaxies that are trillions of times bigger than any planet.
2007-06-18 11:34:11 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pluto is small and has a crazy orbit. while it does have many planetary properties, there are so many other obects like it in the Kuiper Belt that if we allowed Pluto to be defined as a planet, we'd have thousands of planets in our solar system, rather than 9 (now, 8). Note: this was never a problem until the discovery of the "10th planet," Xena.
2007-06-18 12:31:01 · answer #3 · answered by propernaughty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its been demoted to a dwarf planet and stricken from being classified as a planet because there is an asteroid belt where the orbit of pluto is. Scientist have since found asteroids larger than pluto in roughly the same place and orbit.
They didnt want to start classifying other asteroids as planets and start drawing lines on which sizes should be considered so they decided to call it a "dwarf planet". It keeps every1 from arguing!!!
2007-06-18 11:27:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Because the definition of planet was never formally defined. There are asteroids larger than Pluto that do not have planetary status. So the criteria was defined by scientists, and Pluto did not meet that criteria, partially because of its size, and the fact that it doesn't orbit the sun in a proper orbit for a planet.
2007-06-18 11:29:44 · answer #5 · answered by Pfo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not out of our solar system. It is simply not classified as a planet. It's size does not meet the requirements to be a planet. It is now classified as a dwarf planet, though it remains in orbit around our Sun.
2007-06-18 15:08:35 · answer #6 · answered by Horcrux 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I for one still think of Pluto as a planet.
In the words of Mickey Mouse, "Don't mess with Pluto!"
2007-06-18 12:13:12 · answer #7 · answered by patodelamuerte 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means that it has been reclassified. it now is a smaller form of planet because it no longer has all of the qualifications that it needs to have to be a planet. i find pluto to be a comet or at least a supermassive comet. not a planet at all.
2007-06-18 11:26:52 · answer #8 · answered by TrevaThaKilla 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
its been deemed to small to acutally exist as a planet in our solar system, and is more of a random asteroid that got caught by our susn's gravitational pull
2007-06-18 11:25:22 · answer #9 · answered by pete 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It failed to make accurate astrological predictions about human personality.
2007-06-18 12:21:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋