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In Defense of Pluto
Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006, but does it really deserve that title?
I have a confession. As a small child, I was introduced to the solar system, as most were, but I fell in love with one planet in particular. Pluto! Yes, that little guy at the end. I’ve always had a soft spot for Pluto and was heartbroken when it was demoted. I’m biased, but I will always defend Pluto’s status as a planet.
International Astronomical Union
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) convened in Prague, Czech Republic, to discuss a controversial topic. The IAU is the entity responsible for determining the official names of the celestial bodies within the universe. At this particular meeting, they would determine whether or not the much-loved Pluto could accurately be classified as a planet.
The IAU has over 9,000 members at its disposal. However, only 424 members were invited to participate in the discussion and vote on Pluto’s ultimate fate. IAU’s members are astronomers who study the universe, the objects within the universe, and how the universe works. They do not primarily study planets themselves.
The study of planets is left to the experts known as planetary scientists who specialize in the planets. However, the planetary…
