On Pluto

[arcturax]

Figured I would do an astronomy post. Recently watched a thing on netflix about the status of Pluto and the controversy surrounding its "demotion" to dwarf planet. The show was hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson, who has taken up the torch of public awareness in space and space science from the late Carl Sagan. Dr. Tysons take on the status of Pluto

Comments

[maxgoof]

It's still Pluto. It's still interesting. So what if we are back down to eight planets? Pluto was discovered by accident, anyway,

The reclassification is more than just size. It is also distance from the Sun. There are apparently larger bodies further out that are not considered planets because of their distance.

[arcturax]

All you did was restate whe I already said in the first sentance.

And wrong on the second one. Distance has nothing to do with it. Read the IAU definition.

1. is in orbit around the Sun,
2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and
3. has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit.