I think that under the new definition Pluto should not be considered a planet. It should of, when it was almost done forming, become gravitationally dominant. Which means that it should be the largest body excluding it's satelittes. Pluto shares it's "neighborhood" with the Kuiper Belt, therefore not fulfilling the qualifications for a planet.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleared_the_neighbourhood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nomenclature#Pluto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto#Other_factors_governing_Pluto.27s_orbit

PLUTO: Planet or Not?

This question has come up so many times. I've tried to avoid the "is Pluto a planet?" issue as far as possible because I think it is essentially bogus and scientifically it is a non-issue


Personally, I grew up with the universe's smallest and coldest planet and the age old rhyme, 'MY Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles' and I really don't want to see my son or daughter reciting, 'My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles.' It doesn't even have a nice ring to it!

What about the scifi tv shows and movies?
older ones have pluto mentioned as a 'planet' you can't go back an change it can you?
what about shows like Sailor Moon who has 'Sailor Pluto'
what about Mickey Mouse who has a dog named Pluto. (Well, that's not relevant, but it's going along with my discussion.) and all those other mentionable shows?


I believe they shouldjust leave it, there really isn't any need to strip it from the charts. I still see Pluto as a planet despite what astronomers may say. It was my favorite out of all of them.How could you change history just like that?Do you know how many sceince books would have to be reprinted and how many schools have to readjust their learning cirriculums to better suit the lesson now that Pluto is taken out of the loop? It's a hassel and it's costing money and our economy is already low.

Quote:

What Is a Planet Today? According to the new definition, a full-fledged planet is an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto has been demoted because it does not dominate its neighborhood. Charon, its large "moon," is only about half the size of Pluto, while all the true planets are far larger than their moons.

There is no good answer to "what defines a planet?" and yet they have been asked to make such a definition. Their big mistake was to agree to do so.




Above shows a picture of the patterns of each planet. As you can see they labeled pluto a Dwarf planet.

Quote:

Pluto will now be dubbed a dwarf planet. "We know of 44" dwarf planets so far, Brown said. "We will find hundreds. It's a very huge category."

Now, a dwarf planet is known as "a planet that looks like a planet, but is not a planet."

Really now. What is the difference if it doesn't look like a planet. Why the sudden investigation?
If astronomers were dumb enough to dubb it a planet in the first place then why are they going back
to classify it. It's really not important to take it off the solar system.

Everyone knows that Pluto had a slightly more untidy pattern to go around ALL the planets including the sun. My question is that if astronomers knew this about the planet then why did they make it an official planet in the first place? Those little things make me mad because now that everything is all high tech they are allwoed to make better decisions. Technology improves everything, but you shouldn't rely on it.

I understand that there are such things called mistakes, but this RIDICULUOS! I bet if you can round up at least half the world, that they would untie against the astronomers because every single one of them has grown up with Pluto as a planet.

People still proclaim as quoted in When I was your age, Pluto was a Planet(the best thing to tell your grandkids)

Quote:

ra7n7d63 "Things were better when Pluto was a planet, weren't they? I want Pluto Back!"

Quote:

Helly "Pluto is still a planet to me"

Quote:

Even the planet Pluto says, “I will only truly cease to be a planet when none here are loyal to me.” hehe!

Quote:

But gbman says, "My question is how long have they been discussing Plutos fate?? Surely it must have occurred to someone a while ago that Pluto didn’t fit the criteria. Now, do I hear correctly, is Pluto facing even more hardship. . No longer a dwarf planet?"

I really hope not. If that debate opens up then there will be some major discussio there.


I LOVE Pluto. It was the mystery in itself is what drew me to it. No one has set foot on it
so there is not much known about it. Pluto is still a planet and It's number one in my book and
I don't care what anyone says.







http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html
http://media.maps101.com/SUB/K_3/k3solarsystem.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet
http://bestuff.com/stuff/when-i-was-your-age-pluto-was-a-planet

I don't think they should have changed its status. Now everyone has learned that Pluto is the nineth planet and then they change it, they are going to have to make new science text book and everything. I agree with Stephy, they should be doing more important things then trying to find if pluto is a planet or not.

Funny thing...
I forgot this was a discussion as it proves in my rather long previous post. lol. silly me

stephy wrote:

I believe that Pluto should still continue to be a planet. I mean no one was being hurt by the fact that it was a planet why change it. I dont even see why they changed it. There are so many other things that people should be worrying about and it shouldnt be weather or not PLuto is a planet. For instance there is cancer. Why dont we work on finding a cure. Why bother finding evidence as to werather or not Pluto is a planet when we should be finding a way to get rid of cancer.

I totally agree with that statement, Stephy.

Scientists could be pouring their concentration on much better things thay will benefit US, you know, the ppl who pay TAXES! Not only cancer either, but other diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, AIDS/HIV etc. People are dying and suffering...

Then again, I guess it will always be evident to take the easy way out. Pluto was an easy target and because it is, it's easy to change and make diagnostic. Apparently, it's not ONLY a 'dwarf planet, but also as asteroid number.

Quote:

Pluto has been given a new name to reflect its new status as a dwarf planet. On Sept. 7, the former 9th planet was assigned the asteroid number 134340 by the Minor Planet Center, the official organization responsible for collecting data about asteroids and comets in our solar system.

SOURCE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14789691/

Quote:

study showed that Pluto is puny, barely a quarter the size of our own Moon. So Pluto was only a planet because it was in the right place at the right time. Demoting this tiny lump of rock was a good decision.

source http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/595


Now, the big one is the moon and the small one on the left hand side is pluto. this is shown thru a hubble space telescope.

This is just a huge hint at the scientist who mislead pluto for a planet in the first place! Before it was praised and celebrate and now because it's smaller than out moon, its a Rock! I really don't buy any of it. It's called research for a reason, it's part of science and those scientists did not do their homework at all. This is just on big correction to cover up their wrong.

No! Just leave it like it is! Why change? It just brings major controversy, which it has.

Quote:

I encourage all Pluto-lovers to have a look at Pluto for themselves. Even through the largest telescope, it is barely indistinguishable from the stars around it. Compare this to the spectacular sight of Jupiter's moons and cloud bands, or the majesty of Saturn's rings.

Source: http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/595


Many people feel very passionate about Pluto's status as a planet, and will be disappointed or disbelieving that astronomers have voted to change this. As I can see in this thread. I would love to see someone oppose it to heat up a real debate.

But as a passionate pluto lover, I have seen pluto and if it's bigger than ME and in outer space, it's a freakin' planet!

I think it should still be a planet. We have some dumb peolpe in our world today. If its not a planet, then why was it on our maps of the solar systems for so may years. I have always done projects on Pluto and then I couldnt no longer. Even my sister said that for her 6th grade science class( we hade the same teacher) that she had to put more then 7 in a group for the project instead or 4 like always. I think it should because what hamr is it doing to our solor system. I mean, the saying was always what kept me thinking of each planet. Now that its gone, how are the children of our future going to remeber something else when no saying has been done It took me years to rememeber that and I know some of you might say'God she has gone off the deep end' but I havent. I have always been slow in science and I know some other children are to.So it always took me time to remeber each planet. Then I get into 8th grade and the planet is gone and we had a test on it and I'm freaking out about it. Some kids who have grown up knowing that have had the smae experice as me with the planets and not remebering them. This reminds me of the tap water and the milk. The had said tap water had the same particials has tissue paper and tampons(whchc is so not true) and mik as ee threw chemcials befoer we get it in a carton. Seeing as science is my worst subject, I porblem will fell the planet test. I had always started with Pluto and worked it back to the front, now that i cant do that, I will mess up alot.My History teacher agrees with it to. Science was one of her slow subjects. So i think it should still be back on there and you can all go and say 'This girl has gone off the deep end.'

I agree with you Lesley. They shouldn't have changed it should have stayed a planet. Thoses scienctist had nothing better to do than figure out if a planet was a planet or not. They should have been doing something else besides that, now everyone will be messed up they have always known pluto to be a planet and then that changes its just not right to change its status.

Pluto never made much sense as a planet with its tininess and moons that aren't that much smaller. But I don't like how they just decided to change its classification. Now all this money has to be spent changing text books (which mine still haven't been changed by the way), and a bunch of little kids will get all confused.

Anyway it isn't a planet under the new definition and it really does make sense as not being considered a planet. I accept it, even though it can be confusing at times (I still almost say their are 9 planets).

Oh and I think its sad Venetia Phair can no longer say she named a Planet, but oh well.

I think it should still be a planet. I mean, like Cat said, it will only confuse people more for a long time, and it wastes money to change textbooks and such. Pluto has been around since 1930 or so, so is it just now that we are making the standards planets must meet to be considered a planet? Its really not worth all the trouble it will cause.