Essay On Pluto

Pluto is not considered a planet because it does not meet all the criteria of a full-sized planet. The three criteria are: it has to be in orbit around the sun, it has to have a sufficient mass to assume a nearly round shape or hydrostatic equilibrium, and it has to clear the neighbourhood around its orbit. Pluto only meets two of these criteria. It has not yet cleared its neighborhood, meaning that its gravity has not cleared the space around it. In addition to this, Pluto shares its orbital neighborhood with Kuiper Belt Objects. The Kuiper Belt is a circumstellar disc in the Solar System which is beyond the planets. Therefore, Pluto is considered dwarf planet rather than a planet..

Pluto is unlike the other planets in that it has an icy surface instead of a rocky surface, like the inner 4 (terrestrial) planets, or a deep atmosphere, like the next 4 (gas giant) planets.

Pluto isn’t a planet for many reasons the main one being, it only follows two of the three criteria of being a planet. According to the article “Pluto: Planet or not?”, for Pluto to be a planet it needs to meet three pieces of criteria. In the article “Pluto: Planet or not?” it states that “Pluto meets two of these three criteria.” Therefore, Pluto should not be considered a planet because, it doesn't meet the criteria it needs to. Many scientist would agree that Pluto is considered a dwarf planet. “Pluto is a dwarf planet” Christensen wrote. It’s just plain and simple, Pluto is a dwarf planet, no doubt about it. There shouldn’t be any confusion about whether Pluto should be considered or not for many reasons. If it doesn’t meet all three

Astronomers now label Pluto as a “dwarf planet” because it does not meet all of the criteria to be a planet. It is also not alone in its orbit; it is part of a wide group of small-scale objects that have been detected revolving around the Sun beyond Neptune.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson wrote The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet to examine why Pluto ought not to be considered a planetary body and instead a dwarf planet or Kuiper Belt Object.

To be qualified as a planet and object must orbit a star, is not star-like in that it is undergoing internal nuclear fusion, and has a gravitational force that will allow it to retain a spherical shape. Pluto certainly fulfills these requirements, however, there are Kuiper objects that also meet the same criteria. These objects have been classified as minor planets and have been assigned a numerical designation. Despite all the argument for demoting Pluto to a minor planet, its status has remained the same, even if solely contributed to maintaining historical context.

In August 2006 pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet and it is still considered to not be a planet. Do you think it should be considered a planet? Pluto should not be considered a planet in my opinion.

Pluto was found by a scientist in 1930. Through that time there was debates over whether this little ball of ice should be not considered a planet. It shouldn't”t be a planet because it does not dominate its neighbors.Also, Pluto’s orbit overlaps Neptune’s orbit That is not acceptable.Another Pluto has a moon a bit bigger than itself .On universe today it states “What does “cleared its neighborhood” mean? As planets form, they become the dominant gravitational body in their orbit in the Solar System…... Pluto is only 0.07 times the mass of the other objects in its orbit. The Earth, in comparison, has 1.7 million times the mass of the other objects in its orbit.” This is saying its too small to be a planet. Also on Starchild, it says “Pluto is usually farthest from the Sun. However, its orbit "crosses" inside of Neptune's orbit for 20 years out of every 248 years. Pluto last crossed inside Neptune's orbit on February 7, 1979, and temporarily became the 8th planet from the Sun.

Today Pluto is now known as an icy gaseous white dwarf planet and is the second largest white dwarf planet with Eris being the largest. My submission will support my argument that Pluto should not be classified as a Planet or a Small Solar System Body, but a Dwarf Planet as classified in 2006, by the International Astronomical Union. First, the physical characteristics of Pluto support that Pluto has been properly reclassified as a dwarf planet. Pluto's density and size are much smaller than all other planets, as studies have confirmed that Pluto's width is 1582 miles long and the length is 1400 miles long and its mass is less than 0.024% of the planet earth.

In comparison to Earth, Pluto is about 39 times further away, and therefore, it takes Pluto 248 Earth years to complete one orbit (Landau, Pluto 19). Compared to Earth’s 24 hours in a day, “a day on Pluto lasts 153 hours, or about 6 Earth days” (“Solar System Exploration: Pluto: In Depth.”). Pluto is also only 1,400 miles wide, which is “about half the width of the United States, or 2/3 the width of Earth’s moon” (“Solar System Exploration: Pluto: In Depth.”). Since Pluto is less dense than Earth, Pluto’s mass is an astonishing “one-sixth that of Earth’s moon” ( “Solar System Exploration: Pluto: In Depth.”). When New Horizons visited Pluto, it was also discovered that Pluto has a “heart shaped glacier that’s the size of Texas and Oklahoma” (“Solar System Exploration: Pluto: In Depth.”) and “mountains as high as the Rockies” (“Solar System Exploration: Pluto: In Depth.”). Overall, Pluto is much smaller and less dense than Earth, setting it apart from the other planets which are on a larger scale.

Pluto is the ninth planet in Earth's solar system. However, throughout the years, Pluto has had many differing views on it. Some believe that it isn't a planet at all, since it does not meet all 3 classifications of a planet (Williams Dwarf). On the other hand many scientists do still classify Pluto as a planet. Looking past all of the controversy, Pluto still has a remarkable history in astronomy.

Despite Plutos dwarf planet status it still hosts several moons. Its biggest moon Charon is almost as big as Pluto so it was beleived to be a double planet. Also Pluto's moon Charon may have an ocean on it the gravitational force of Pluto to Charon strethces the moons insides warming it enough to possibly have a moon.

Many may urge that Pluto should be considered a planet for it has similar characteristics as the planets of the Solar System; however, others still believe that Pluto should not be considered a planet because of its slight differences and conditions that are not matched.

Pluto should be given the title “planet” for a number of reasons. Pluto was classified as a planet in 1930 until the International Astronomical Union altered the definition of a "planet" and stripped Pluto of the title. Some Astronomers say the International Astronomical Union’s planet definition is fundamentally amiss. The new definition requires that a planet has to gravitationally clear its orbit. What about the Trojan asteroids at Jupiter? What about space dust? That rule could dwindle the number of planets to zero. David Aguilar of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics asserts, “If we can adjust the definition of planet, just slightly, then Pluto can be included in our solar system.” Most astronomers say Pluto is too small,

While modern science has currently stripped Pluto of its title as one of the planets of our solar system it is my belief that one day it could reclaim its title. As a planet is currently defined it has to have cleared its orbit of obstructions which is the reasoning for why Pluto has as of now lost its title, it has yet to finish clearing its orbital path. However, over time it is entirely possible that it will and at that point in time it could once again be considered the planet it has always been. There is also the alternative chance that the definition of a planet could be changed into something more inclusive that would reinstate Pluto to its rightful throne. This second possibility would