Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto has been a bit of a puzzle:
It's smaller than any other planet - even smaller than the
Earth's moon.
It's dense and rocky, like the terrestrial planets (Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars). However, its nearest neighbors are the gaseous Jovian
planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). For this reason, many scientists
believe that Pluto originated elsewhere in space and got caught in the Sun's
gravity. Some astronomers once theorized that Pluto used to be one of Neptune's
moons.
Pluto's orbit is erratic. The planets in our solar system all
orbit the Sun in a relatively flat plane. Pluto, however, orbits the sun at a
17-degree angle to this plane. In addition, its orbit is exceptionally
elliptical and crosses Neptune's orbit.
One of its moons, Charon, is about half Pluto's size. Some
astronomers have recommended that the two objects be treated as a binary system
rather than a planet and satellite.
These facts have contributed to the long-running debate over
whether to consider Pluto a planet. On August 24, 2006, the International
Astronomical Union (IAU), an organization of professional astronomers, passed
two resolutions that collectively revoked Pluto's planetary status. The first
of these resolutions is Resolution 5A, which defines the word
"planet." Although many people take the definition of
"planet" for granted, the field of astronomy had never clearly defined
what is and is not a planet.
Here's how Resolution 5A defines a planet:
A planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the
Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces
so that it assumes a hydro-static equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has
cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
Pluto is relatively round and orbits the Sun, but it does not
meet the criteria because its orbit crosses Neptune's orbit. Critics of the
resolution argue that other planets in the solar system, including the Earth,
have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbits. The Earth, for example,
regularly encounters asteroids in and near its orbit.
Resolution 5A also establishes two new categories of objects
in orbit around the sun: dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies. According
to the resolution, a dwarf planet is:
A celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has
sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it
assumes a hydro-static equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
Small solar-system bodies are objects that orbit the Sun but
are neither planets nor dwarf planets. Another resolution, Resolution 6A, also
specifically addresses Pluto, naming it as a dwarf planet.
Not all astronomers support Resolutions 5A and 6A. Critics
have pointed out that using the term "dwarf planet" to describe
objects that are by definition not planets is confusing and even misleading.
Some astronomers have also questioned the resolutions' validity, since
relatively few professional astronomers had the ability or opportunity to vote.
Here's how the two resolutions classify the objects in orbit
around our sun:
Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune
Dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres (an object in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter), 2003 UB313 (an object farther from the Sun than
Pluto)
Small solar-system bodies: Everything else, including
asteroids and comets
