LONELY PLANET
Pluto should STILL be classified as a planet, Nasa chief claims
POOR Pluto was declassified from being a planet in our Solar System to just a humble dwarf planet 13 year ago.
Despite it being over a decade since this decision was made, the topic is still hotly disputed and there are those who think Pluto should be labelled as a planet once more.
2
The International Astronomical Union made the final decision but it seems NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has put himself firmly in Pluto's corner.
Bridenstine recently spoke out about his support for Pluto as a planet during a tour of the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The Nasa chief said: "Just so you know, in my view, Pluto is a planet.
"You can write that the NASA Administrator declared Pluto a planet once again. I'm sticking by that, it's the way I learnt it, and I'm committed to it."
2
Bridenstine's lighthearted comment doesn't change Pluto's classification but it does bring to light the ongoing debate once more.
Pluto was removed from the list of nine planets in August 2006 mostly because its properties were more suited to the definition of a dwarf planet.
The difference between a dwarf planet and a planet is largely to do with the space around it.
Planets have a clear area around their orbit whereas dwarf planets do not.
There are also many other celestial objects a similar size to Pluto with unclear orbits so some scientists have argued that if Pluto where to be considered a planet then all those other objects would have to be too.
However, Pluto has other features like a multilayered atmosphere, moons, weather and organic compounds that all make the issue regarding its planet status even trickier.
Pluto facts
Here's what you need to know...
- Pluto was discovered in 1930
- It was considered to be one of nine planets in our Solar System until 2006
- The decision to declassify Pluto was controversial because, even though it is small and doesn't have a clear orbit, it has lots of other planet like features like an atmosphere and weather
- Pluto is the largest dwarf planet
- Pluto has five known moons
- Pluto was visited by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015, during which pictures were taken of its surface
NASA video reveals what landing on Pluto looks like
TOP STORIES IN SCIENCE
In other space news, a monster asteroid twice the size of the Empire State Building will skim Earth at 14,400 mph in three weeks.
Alien planet could have greater variety of life than Earth, surprise study claims.
And, an ‘alien’ grain of dust fired at Earth by ancient exploding star has been found buried in Antarctica.
Do you think Pluto should be labelled as a planet? Let us know in the comments...
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
Topics