Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet. Pluto had been declared a planet upon its discovery in 1930, but eventually a large number of comparable objects were discovered in similar orbits, and it became necessary to determine if some, all, or none of them were planets. In 2006, the International Astronomy Union created a definition of the word planet (no such definition had ever existed before) to accomplish this.
A planet is a body that orbits the Sun, is sufficiently massive that gravity pulls it into a spheroidal shape, has "cleared the neighborhood" of its orbit, and is not the satellite of another solar system body. A dwarf planet is an object satisfying all of these requirements except for clearing the neighborhood. Currently, they include only Ceres (the largest object in the asteroid belt), Pluto, and Eris (which is larger than Pluto). There are numerous other objects that may fit the definition, but more information is needed about them.
2007-08-22 04:19:29
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answer #1
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answered by DavidK93 7
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OK, science doesn't work because the uneducated people like Alowishus B or whatever cry "we want it to be like this!"
I've said this before but ever since I learned of the solar system, I always wondered why Pluto was even considered a planet. It revolves about a fixed point with its "satellite" Charon as they're both revolving about the sun, so that automatically kills it as a planet. Pluto has a very weird orbit around the sun, it crosses Neptune's orbit sometimes making it closer to the sun than Neptune, an orbit like that is more like an asteroid's. Pluto is way too small, there are likely hundreds more Pluto sized objects (and bigger) in orbit of the sun, so unless you want to give all of those "planet status", stop crying about why Pluto isn't a planet anymore.
2007-08-22 04:28:12
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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For the record: Pluto does NOT revolve around Neptune. (in referrence to another reply.) Pluto has an irregular orbit, and that causes it to be closer to the sun than neptune for about seventy years, I think it is, before they swap out again. Right now though, Pluto is farthest out; I think they switched a decade ago or something.
As the others have mentioned, Pluto is now classified as a planetoid. I think part of the issue was that Pluto's 'moon', Charon, was almost the same size as Pluto and for awhile they thought it would have to be named a tenth planet, and that it and Pluto would have been a binary planet system, if I remember all this right. But instead, they went the other way and demoted Pluto.
However, almost anyone you ask to list planets will list nine and include Pluto in that.
2007-08-22 04:27:13
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answer #3
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answered by Jade 4
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It is now categorised as a minor, or dwarf planet. It is very small, smaller than a lot of other objects in the outer system that would have to be called Planets if we let Pluto stay in the club - indeed we could have a solar system with thousands of 'planets'. It also has a weird, very elliptical orbit, suggesting it is a captured Kuiper belt object rather than a true planet.
I have a soft spot for Pluto, and part of me wishes it had stayed as a planet, but I can recognise the logic in re-classifying it.
2007-08-22 04:21:27
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answer #4
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answered by Avondrow 7
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some thing below 4 hundred participants of the ten,000 member IAU voted under a veil of assumed authority to downgrade Pluto's prestige as a planet as quickly as they rewrote the rule of thumb e book. an excellent variety of the recent standards they conventional that could desire to be met to establish that an merchandise to be seen a planet is met via Pluto. It orbits a megastar, it has a moon, and it incredibly is often around in shape. The disqualifying new rule became into that Pluto has no longer cleared its orbital path around the solar and there are different products sharing the comparable orbit. this could recommend that if yet another merchandise enters or is discovered to exist interior the comparable orbital path of the Earth, the Earth would not be a planet. The IAU additionally did no longer think approximately as to if or no longer Pluto is interior the capacity of clearing its orbital path and purely needs some billion extra years.
2016-11-13 04:04:29
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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A dwarf Planet now however the whole thing is duff to me.
Mercury is smaller than Ganymede which is a moon but Mercury still gets to be called a planet. They found some big rocks out beyond Pluto so astronomers are classing Pluto as oone of these now.
2007-08-22 04:21:13
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answer #6
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answered by Northern Spriggan 6
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To the Fresh Prince: Earth and Moon orbit around a central point (that is part way between Earth's center and Earth's surface). By your logic, Earth isn't a planet either!
Pluto is much, much further out than the rest. It's orbit is way angled compared to the rest. It is similar to many other objects that we have since found.
If we had at first discovered just on Asteroid in the Asteroid Belt, we would be justified to change it's status from "planet" with unusual features to "Asteroid". Same thing here.
I gave a thumbs up to the answer that I feel gives the best answer. I think it's the third one down.
2007-08-22 04:47:05
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answer #7
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answered by silverlock1974 4
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Well Holst didn't write a piece about it. But that's because it wasn't discovered then. I think it is a shame that a bunch of scientists can decide that poor old Pluto is not a planet how dare they. Pluto is and always shall be a planet and will live long and prosper long after these scientists.
2007-08-25 10:01:37
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answer #8
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answered by paul j 2
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Pluto is no longer regarded as a planet, but has beed redesignated a minor planet, along with the (previous) asteroid Ceres and the unofficially named object Xena.
(See the attached article).
There are now eight planets,
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
2007-08-22 04:20:46
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answer #9
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answered by the_lipsiot 7
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In my little world it is.
In the astronomer's world I don't really know why the best they come up with is that it is to small and not in a regular orbit with the other planets. my Question is why now? They let it be a planet for what 60 years and they decide to make it a planet no more. It really sucks cause Pluto was my all time favorite planet.
2007-08-22 07:54:52
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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