Topic 7; What is a name? In 2006 Pluto lost its status as a planet (of our solar system) after a heated scientific debate that had gone on for years. What were the events leading up to Pluto’s demotion? Why was there a problem and why was it such a big deal? What are the implications for the future of other planets in our solar system?
Introduction
The main focus of this paper will be focused on the impact of the demotion of Pluto and what implications this has for future planets. Pluto was discovered on the 18th of February 1930 at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh (space.com 2013). The Observatory was given the right to name the planet, they received over 1,000 suggestions from all over the globe however, the members of the Observatory made the decision to name it Pluto after the Greek god ‘Pluto’ god of the underworld (Top10archive 2015). Pluto was known as the smallest planet in the solar system and the ninth planet from the sun, being 5.9 billion kilometers away (universe today 2016). It is 30 to 50 times as far from the sun as Earth and if travelling at the speed of light it would take 327 minutes to reach Pluto from Earth (google search 2016). It was the first object to be discovered in what would later be identified as the Kuiper belt.
Discussion
After decades of Pluto being a planet, astronomers began wondering whether Pluto might just be the first of many small, icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt (BBC news 2015). it wasn’t until
The articles “Why Pluto had to go” Pluto should not be a planet, and “War of the Worlds” argued that Pluto argued that the object in space, Pluto should be a planet. “Why Pluto had to go” argued this statement by saying that Pluto’s size is too small, doesn’t follow the orbit such as other planets with the sun, and compare to the other planets such as Jupiter’s moons and cloud bands, it just doesn’t make the cut. “War of the Worlds” explains the reasons that Pluto should be a planet by giving facts that Pluto was the second largest known objects in the solar system compare to Kuiper belt, definition of what define a planet, that the “planet” Pluto have been in our mental map of the solar system which still makes it a planet in our eyes.
Many issues have arisen from the debate whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a “minor planet” due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features.
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.
My Thesis statement is Phuto was once considered to be a planet but now Pluto is the most famous dwarf planet in our solar system. Pluto is made up of ⅔ of rock and ⅓ of ice. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh on January 23, 1930. Pluto is very very cold you can't even imagine how much colder it is than Antarctic.If that happen in Earth the air would turn into snow that's how cold it would be about 230 degrees below zero Celsius. When you want to see Pluto up in the sky you can't even see Pluto with your naked eye. Pluto is very hard to see once you look in the telescope it look a little like a star even with the telescope.
In the outer limits of our solar system there is a planet unlike any other, Pluto. Pluto was discovered in February of 1930 by an American astronomer, Clyde Tombaugh. It is the only planet to have been discovered by an American. All though we have known of the existence of Pluto for over thirty years now, there are still many mysteries surrounding this celestial body. Being the farthest planet has made it difficult to study Pluto, Adding to the obscurity of this strange planet is that the capability to send spacecraft such distances has never been achieved. Through the wonders of science and astronomy, there are many things that can be determined, concluded, and hypothesized about this obscure planet.
The discussion about Pluto’s status in our solar system is still in question. The definition of a planet is changing as society advances and as time passes. We used to believe that Pluto was a planet which orbits the sun, but in a weird way since it’s orbit is quite odd compared to other planets in our solar system. Pluto is different such that, it has five moons and crosses Neptune’s orbit. Not only does it do that, it is quite small in contrast to the other celestial body in our solar system. As society advances, we question the definition of a planet and Pluto’s status in our solar system. Our crave for knowledge and curiosity about what’s around us motivates us to explore the unknown. Our desire to learn more is due to the fact that people
Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s dwarf book is much like Pluto: It’s got plenty of interesting facts however it is mostly appreciated for the illustrations. Dr. Tyson’s new book, the publication is a space nonfiction of Pluto’s fall from planethood. Dr. Tyson wrote this book to explore the reasons why Pluto was demoted from the status of being a planet and all of the history behind the discovery. Also, due to his vast interest in Astronomy, Dr.Tyson was influenced to write The Pluto Files.
Outer space is a realm of new discoveries and possibilities. There is one particular planet in our solar system that is brimming with these possibilities. However, for nine years it has not actually been considered a planet. The “dwarf planet”, Pluto, has been overlooked and misrepresented in astronomy and planetary science. Since being demoted from planet status to dwarf planet status, little Pluto has raised some big questions about what defines a planet and what does not. In this paper, I will attempt to persuade you that Pluto should be promoted back to its original planet status. First, I will give you a brief history of Pluto, from its discovery to what prompted its reclassification. Next, I will explain the definition of a planet as given by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the definition’s flaws. Finally, I will discuss the recent discoveries of the New Horizons mission and how these new discoveries should lead to the reclassification of Pluto to its original planet status.
It was discovered in Arizona, USA and an eleven year old girl from England won the naming contest, naming the new planet "Pluto" after the Roman god of the underworld. Astronomers are not certain, but they think that the composition is similar to Triton's with 70% rock and 30% ice. It has a low pressure atmosphere containing nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. It is about one sixth the mass of Earth's moon and has five natural satellites, it's most famous moon being Charon. The other four moons were discovered in the 21st century, named Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx. There is a spacecraft called New Horizons that has just made it to Pluto. This fairly recent discovery, however, did not even make a full revolution around the sun before it was demoted to a dwarf planet for not complying with the last of the three planet requirements: "It has cleared the neighborhood of its orbit of any other space debris." It has now been named a dwarf planet, a title given to celestial bodies what are missing just one of the three requirements to become a
Once, Pluto was considered the ninth and most distant planet from our sun. Pluto was discovered by an American astronomer name Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. But before being discovered, an American astronomer name Percival Lowell was actually the first to caught hints of Pluto’s existence in 1905. He suggested that there was another world’s gravity that was tugging at the two planets, Neptune and Uranus, from beyond. It turns out that there was another planet, the smallest and ninth planet from the sun, Pluto. The now dwarf planet was named by an 11 year old girl from Oxford, England whose name was Venetia Katharine Douglas Phair or Venetia Burney. The astronomer did predict the planet’s location in 1915, but unfortunately he died without finding
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
The New Horizon Mission brought a new information on Pluto and the surrounding moons. Based on the crater count on Pluto’s surface the dwarf planet has been geologically active the past four billion years. In particular, a massive ice plan large than Texas named Sputnik-Planum shows signs of being geologically active within the past ten million years. Also Pluto’s surface is still puzzling to scientists as its composition is unlike any of the other Jovian planets. The surface goes from Nitrogen based to methane based to Oxygen based. In addition the atmospheric temperature is much colder than what scientists believed, by about 70 degrees F. Also thanks to the New Horizons probe scientists now believe they can theorize how Pluto’s atmosphere haze layer formed. The process of its formation is based on atmospheric buoyancy waves or gravity waves. This affected is caused by the winds blowing over the mountainous surface of Pluto.
The newest high-resolution eye-candy images of Pluto were released by the New Horizons mission team at a press conference today and, again, they did not disappoint. Details flow in and questions continue to mount as the formerly most-mysterious body in the solar system drops her veils. See below for images and video.
Internal Summary/Preview: After discussing the discovery of “Planet X” through the beliefs of Percival Lowell and the actual finding done by Clyde Tombaugh, we will shift to discussing how “Planet X” got the name Pluto.