im not sure if pluto is a planet or not??
2007-09-17 10:03:08 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The object Pluto is been reclassified by the International Astronomic Union (IAU) as a dwarf planet for a number of reasons. Firstly it's orbit crosses that of a very large object - Neptune - which is undoubtedly a planet. No other "real" planet has such an orbit. Secondly it's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic by quite a bit. Thirdly it is quite small, much smaller than the Earth's Moon.
Until the 1950s it was thought to be larger and heavier than the Earth and was therefore classified as a planet. Over the past 40 some years though, successively better measurements have shown that it is quite small.
A few years ago it was found to have a large satellite now called Charon and two smaller ones. Around the same time it became obvious that there were other objects in the outer solar system which were as about as big as Pluto. To save the list of planets getting cluttered up by multiple objects of smallish size the IAU classified Pluto along with the rest of them as dwarf planets.
Scientists re-classify thing all the time as better information comes to hand. It is frequently things like bacteria and plants but sometime animals. These are far more likely to affect us as they are right here on Earth but the story never gets in the news and few people get their knickers in a knot about it.
Look at the Wikipedia article for facts on Pluto.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto
2007-09-17 10:48:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was once, but the definition of a "planet" was changed when a lot of other objects like Pluto were discovered, and it looked like there could be many more.
Rather than have hundreds of planets, Those Who Know decided to change what is meant by "planet" so there would be only 8.
2007-09-17 10:26:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's the second-largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-largest body observed directly orbiting the Sun. Originally considered a planet, Pluto is now recognised as the largest member of a distinct region called the Kuiper belt.
2007-09-17 10:26:09 · answer #3 · answered by Krissy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes pluto is a planet. It is the ninth planet of the solar system.
2007-09-21 07:42:20 · answer #4 · answered by Voldemort 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is now known as a 'Dwarf' planet along with many other objects.
2007-09-17 10:08:34 · answer #5 · answered by Tony 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it is a planet. it rotates around the sun and spins around it has a surface temperture like all the other planets, why did they change it to a dwarth planet?
2007-09-17 23:47:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's been reclassified as a dwarf planet, not big enough to be a planet, but too big to be a Asteroid.
2007-09-17 10:24:22 · answer #7 · answered by Benthebus 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
short and simple no
2007-09-17 11:35:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not.
Doug
2007-09-17 10:17:43 · answer #9 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋