Pluto Demoted, No Longer A Planet

Astronomers OK New Guidelines Cutting Planets In Solar System From 9 to 8

(CBS/AP)  Pluto, beloved by some as a cosmic underdog but scorned by astronomers who considered it too dinky and distant, was unceremoniously stripped of its status as a planet Thursday.

The International Astronomical Union, dramatically reversing course just a week after floating the idea of reaffirming Pluto's planethood and adding three new planets to Earth's neighborhood, downgraded the ninth rock from the sun in historic new galactic guidelines.

“Pluto is smaller than our moon, not of planetary size,” astronomer Sir Patrick Moore told CBS Evening News interim anchor Bob Schieffer. “If we call Pluto a planet, there are others: Xena, Verona, Terran, Ceres — the list is endless. In fact, that makes no sense at all.”

The shift will have the world's teachers scrambling to alter lesson plans just as schools open for the fall term.

“It will all take some explanation, but it is really just a reclassification and I can't see that it will cause any problems,” said Neil Crumpton, who teaches science at a high school north of London. “Science is an evolving subject and always will be.”

Powerful new telescopes, experts said, are changing the way they size up the mysteries of the solar system and beyond. But the scientists at the conference showed a soft side, waving plush toys of the Walt Disney character Pluto the dog — and insisting that Pluto's spirit will live on in the exciting discoveries yet to come.

“The word 'planet' and the idea of planets can be emotional because they're something we learn as children,” said Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who helped hammer out the new definition.

“This is really all about science, which is all about getting new facts,” he said. “Science has marched on. ... Many more Plutos wait to be discovered.”

Pluto, a planet since 1930, got the boot because it didn't meet the new rules, which say a planet not only must orbit the sun and be large enough to assume a nearly round shape, but must “clear the neighborhood around its orbit.” That disqualifies Pluto, whose oblong orbit overlaps Neptune's, downsizing the solar system to eight planets from the traditional nine.

Astronomers have labored without a universal definition of a planet since well before the time of Copernicus, who proved that the Earth revolves around the sun, and the experts gathered in Prague burst into applause when the guidelines were passed.

Predictably, Pluto's demotion provoked plenty of wistful nostalgia.

“It's disappointing in a way, and confusing,” said Patricia Tombaugh, the 93-year-old widow of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh.

“I don't know just how you handle it. It kind of sounds like I just lost my job,” she said from Las Cruces, N.M. “But I understand science is not something that just sits there. It goes on. Clyde finally said before he died, 'It's there. Whatever it is. It is there.”'

The decision by the IAU, the official arbiter of heavenly objects, restricts membership in the elite cosmic club to the eight classical planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

[honeybee217-2009]

I hope for the sake of a little boy that Pluto gets to retain its status as a planet.

My 8 year old son Tyler (Tombaugh) went to school in tears this morning after watching your news and said, "Mom! You have to tell them! You can't let them take OUR planet away! They're going to make Pluto disappear!"

He was so filled with pride last year when he made a special presentation to his class on his family hero, Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto.

And, in another heart wrenching thought that shows the reasoning only an eight year old can possess, Tyler added: "And what about poor Mickey? Will he have to rename his dog?"

[jairod]

If Pluto is not a planet, then neither is Jupitor. Whereas Pluto is a small rock compared to earth, Jupitor is a gaseous giant with no rock, that has been revealed. So, what those giant minds need to decide is that if Jupitor is accepted as a planet, then any coherent gaseous object in space can be considered a planet. And, further, if size counts, Earth Mars, Venus, and Mercury should not be considered a planets, too. Just a thought.

[abigail4476]

Sometimes logical conclusions are overrated. The definition of what a planet is should be formed based on the existing list, and then allow inclusion of any other objects that fit in the resulting category.

In addition, some logically minded scholars seriously overrate their own logic and importance.

[kujo441]

Please tell me how it is "unclear" how this may affect the New Horizons spacecraft's mission to Pluto. Do you think after four years of designing, building, and launching a spacecraft that they're going to change the mission in-flight because of some international union's statement? New Horizons is now going to Uranus. Have your writer pull his thumb out by 2015.

[lochlan-2009]

THESE SCIENTISTS ARE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS!! Is Mercury a planet? Let's play with the definition of a planet and we can ommit some more rocks, revovling around the sun.

[apdepetris]

I think it all has to do with sales. Look at how many schools, etc. that will now have to buy new pictures/diagrams of the solar system. It reminds me of the days when I was in school and we had that plastic model of the solar system that lit up and you could move all the planets around the sun to show their orbit. Well, I guess that's garbage now.

[ronniehm]

And yet it's comical that scientists speak with certainty about things that are a billion times more complex than classifying a hunk of rock. Let's face it. We don't know squat. Pick your favorite controversial scientific debate, and I guarantee that neither side knows what they're talking about.

[griffin165]

With all of the really important issues facing the world today, worrying about the classification of planets by size seems extremely pointless and a waste of time to me. Pluto is a planet, enough said!

[bfroggy-2009]

I agree that there are more important issues in the world, but I dont think that astronomers are the ones to tackle them. Unless you think that all these astronomers could fix the middle east crisis if they werent so distracted with classifying planets.

[nothappyatall]

Geez, a kid goes to school CRYING because of reclassifying a planet??? I guess I've heard everything now... As far as this goes, who cares what they name a stupid rock out in space?? call it a planet, call it a brown golf ball, all this time wasted on frivolous garbage that doesn't mean a thing to society while so many important issues go begging is nothing short of criminal.

[hamr0344]

How much are these people getting paid out of our and other nations peoples pockets? I'm quite sure a good portion of the money that our astronomers are getting to make these difficult decisions is coming out of our taxes. And if I am correct they are making out pretty well. I can't imagine that our government is paying them to decide if a rock that has been called a planet for more than 76 years is a planet or not. If there isn't more important things for these geniuses to figure out, how about we take what they are making and get school books for children and schools that need them? Just a thought!!!

[buzzygirl-2009]

"Deep down inside, I know this is the right thing to do. It's sad. As of today, I have no longer discovered a planet." [Michael Brown, discoverer of Pluto]

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh.

Don't people take the time to check their facts anymore??

[dragongirl22]

""Deep down inside, I know this is the right thing to do. It's sad. As of today, I have no longer discovered a planet." [Michael Brown, discoverer of Pluto]

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh.

Don't people take the time to check their facts anymore??"

Ummmm.....if you look just a few paragraphs higher, you'll see that Michael Brown discovered 2003 UB313, which would also have gained planet status if the earlier definition had passed. Hence the "no longer discovered a planet" remark.

...talk about checking facts...

[ronniehm]

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... the caption says, "discoverer of Pluto," so the dispute is with the credit given to him, not the man's quote.

Nice fact-checking yourself, Drago.

[mrvolleyba11]

...am I missing something (Buzzykill & Bonnie)??? No where do I see that they gave credit to Mr Brown for discovering Pluto, I understand today's youth are scoring lower and lower on tests and everything but I didn't realize they were illiterate also! Dragongirl22 is correct in that they said Mr Brown discovered 2003 UB313, NOT Pluto!!!

"Deep down inside, I know this is the right thing to do. It's sad. As of today, I have no longer discovered a planet."
Michael Brown, discoverer of 2003 UB313

[buzzygirl-2009]

Earlier on this page, the quote was attributed as such: "Deep down inside, I know this is the right thing to do. It's sad. As of today, I have no longer discovered a planet." [Michael Brown, discoverer of Pluto]

They changed the attribution so that it now reads correctly.

[gossimer]

Hmmm... Imagine what this is going to do to Astrologers and the people who follow their horoscopes and birth charts. All those programs available now that allow people to cast horoscopes and birth charts for themselves and others are now obsolete and incorrect. Nope, as far as I'm concerned, Pluto is STILL a planet, if for no other reason than it has it's own moons orbiting it! I grew up with the knowledge of NINE "planets" in our solar system and by golly that's EXACTLY what I'm going to continue believing! I wonder what Carl Sagan would have to say about all this...

[lissa_girl13]

While I agree with many of the people on the comments list that this seems like a trivial way to spend ones time when so many other issues are seemingly going without attention is rediculous I also believe this: People are given different talents in order for us to grow as a culture, whether that is in scientific, political, social, or economical ways is up to the individual. Those scientists who decide upon the validity of a planet are just fulfilling their roles in making our scientific knowledge as acurate as possible.

[mrvolleyba11]

BonnieHM Truth Hurts!!!

[mrvolleyba11]

for some reason some of you think that all of these astronomers are from the USA, as usual you american's think the world revolves around you! this was a gathering of astronomers from around the world and I'm sure this was not the only issue discussed. as far as more important world issues, this is not their job, astronomer is their job, now if this was a meeting of world leaders getting together to discuss ending world hunger and this is what came out of it (that Pluto is no longer a planet) then that would be a waste of tax payers money. That's like complaining about the cartoons in the paper trying to be funny when there is so much evil in the world! that's not the purpose of the cartoons, sport section, etc, etc.

[red1530]

I think Pluto should not have been demoted because it has an atmosphere and three moons.

[lissa_girl13]

Ok I am completely tired of people believing that the United States is full of self-serving ignorant people. We realize that the world does not revolve around us, and we realize people have their individual jobs, but we also realize that their are problems in the world and someone has to begin to make a stance against them. Those who stereotype the United States Citizens as heartless, self-righteous people are judging the people by the bias against its government. We know that the rest of the world may not agree with what we are doing, many of us do not support what our government is doing, but we do support our government out of respect. I would think it would be beneficial for others to atleast respect our motives.

[rsturgeon21]

If Pluto is demotable, then promote the Moon to planet status and make the Earth-Moon a binary planet system. After all, it's all arbitrary and negotiable. - Suzanne Turgeon

[ronniehm]

Mr Ball, grow up. You were wrong. Everyone knows it but you.

[alphaa10-2009]

Gossimer3-- Actually, astrologers have a problem not only with Pluto but something called the "precession of the equinoxes"-- meaning the dates supposedly applying to each zodiac sign no longer coincide with the current position of that constellation. For example, the solar month of Scorpio no longer finds the constellation Scorpio overhead. Apparently, the universe has dared to move since these solar periods were cast in stone (sometimes literally). Likewise, the earth is no longer the center of the cosmos-- heavens!

All this "fumbling" among astronomers about Pluto illustrates the self-corrective aspect of science-- not least in the fact, this time, no one has been tried before a high council for the heresy Pluto cannot be a planet.

We are reminded of the 1997 Pathfinder mission to Mars and the gradually emerging topology of the landing site. As new data clarified the surroundings, looming boulders became only rocks, and as the view expanded, these rocks became tinier, still, in context of everything else. This clarity need not annihilate human significance, but it is nice to know what we are looking at, as well.

[tommy__chong]

Hey man this is messed up why cant pluto be a planet. I mean what did he do to you man? Leave him alone. Litte guy in the sky you are always a planet to be buddie. Do you people have nothing better to do than to decided what planets get to STAY planets go *** yourself.

[buzzygirl-2009]

This whole debate reminds us of how little we actually know about the outer reaches of our solar system.

The Kuiper Belt, of which Pluto, Xena, Sedna and 2003 UB313 are a part, contains the leftovers from the birth of our solar system. We need to study this class of objects up close if possible, because the more we understand them, the more we'll know about the formative years of our solar system. Their distance is daunting for personal exploration, but Pluto is the closest of these objects that we know of, and will serve as a representative for their class.

Hopefully, the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet will not deleteriously affect NASA's New Horizons project.

[bubbiesraver]

Saying that Pluto isn't a planet, is like saying midgets aren't people.

[ronniehm]

That's right, Raver, because planets have feelings too.

[dsdlfl]

Pluto's orbit is highly eliptical, and in fact isn't in the same plane as the other planets. The 8 planet system will be far easier to use than what could possibly swell to 100 as further exploration of the Kuiper Belt occured.

[dsdlfl]

My young cousin behaved the same way as Tyler.....

................Only he was upset because Chris Shelton was sent down to the AAA Mudhens. Oh and Mickey Mouse is on his last legs. Say goodbye to cartoon PLuto as well.

[moser71]

The universe holds many mysteries. There's more out there than we know. Pluto has existed long enough to give credence to it's authenticity as a TRUE PLANET. Whatevidenceis cited to demote it? Having done this, it sounds as though the universe has gotten smaller.

[dsdlfl]

PLuto's orbit varies by roughly 17 degrees from the plane in which the now 8 planet system lies. Ceres' has just as strong a case for planet-hood as Pluto, but anyone nostalgic about Ceres has been dead for 200 years.