Pluto as a Planet (2014) - Reading

It's Back!!!

Well, not quite.  There's been a lot of speculation and rumors reciently stating Pluto is back into the planet club. So lets get something clear first. PLUTO IS STILL NOT A PLANET. To any of you who have seen otherwise, I'm sorry to say you've been slightly misinformed. I say slightly because the point being it might change in the future.

 - Well, what is it then smart ass?
 - Rude. -_- But even so, it is a dwarf planet
 - So its a planet.
 - Well, not quite

Lets make this clear, nothing has changed, its been a dwarf planet since 2006 (when it was re classified.) It was origanally kicked out because it didn't reach the IAU's recommendations.

• be in orbit around the Sun,
• be round or nearly round, and
• be shown to have “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit, be gravitationally dominant in its area — the big kid on the block.

 Basically the problem was that it hadn't cleared its orbit of debris. To add, since Eris' discovery, it was no longer the largest object in its area. However in a recent debate from Harvard-Smithsonian Center in USA, the panel decided it should be a planet. Pluto was voted to be planet. The IAU doesn't have to take their advice, but for all those wishing for it to berecognised, its a big step forward

There were 3 sides to the Argument:
Is a Planet -  Owen Gingerich - Saying that the word planet is historical word and should change as the culture changes.
Isn't a Planet - Gareth Williams (IAU) - Stating its inability to meet the official definition.
Exo-planet View - Dimitar Sasselov - that the criteria for planethood was sun-centric, excluding planets beyond our solar system, or so-called “exoplanets.” He offered an alternative definition: A planet, he argued, is “the smallest spherical lump of matter that formed around stars or stellar remnants.”

While Sasselovs argument won, it may bring up a bigger problem of what do about exoplanets (planets that don't orbit a star). So its unlikely that this issue will go away soon. Especially for the other dwarf planets; Eris, Charon, Ceres, who may want to be reclassified as well. However; I can't make a decision for you. Also, this is a 'reading' blog, so what do you think? Here's some news stories for you to read into;

Post Gazette                        Wikipedia on Pluto
Independant                        Video explaining the reason for demotion
Mirror                                 Education is the Key

Well, hopefully you'll find something to debate about. Interestingly; since its discovery in 1930 it hadn't completed one orbit of the Sun until it was demoted in 2006.

Never doubt societies impact

-|CJ|-