Pluto has always been known as the smallest planet in the solar system. However, Pluto is no longer considered a planet. This is not because the planet has changed in size or because a smaller planet has been discovered. There is another reason behind Pluto's loss of planet status.
In 1930, an American astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto and made it the ninth planet in the solar system. However, in 2006, Pluto was no longer considered a planet. Why?
Change in the Definition of a Planet that Affects Pluto's Status
A change in the definition of a planet affected Pluto's status. It turns out that Pluto does not meet the new definition of a planet. Therefore, Pluto is no longer considered a planet in the solar system. Although Pluto is no longer considered a planet, Clyde Tombaugh's discovery is still appreciated as an important step in exploring the solar system.
Requirements for a Planet According to the New Rules of the International Astronomical Union
Last year, the International Astronomical Union adopted new rules regarding the definition of a planet. Here are some requirements that must be met for an object to be considered a planet:
Round Shape
A planet must have a round shape. The object must meet the hydrostatic requirements, meaning that its gravity is strong enough to form a round ball.
Orbiting the Sun
Planets must orbit the Sun. Therefore, asteroids and comets that orbit the Sun cannot be considered planets.
Clearing its Orbit Environment
A planet must be able to clear the space around it of other objects. The planet's gravity must be strong enough to attract and remove asteroids, comets, and other objects from its orbit.
These three requirements must be met for an object to be considered a planet in our solar system. This rule made Pluto lose its status as a planet because it does not meet the third requirement.
Why Pluto is No Longer Classified as a Planet
Previously, Pluto was considered the ninth planet in the solar system. However, now Pluto has lost its title as a planet. Although Pluto meets two of the planet's criteria, namely a round shape and orbiting the Sun, it still cannot be called a planet because it does not meet the third requirement.
One of the requirements that must be met for an object to be classified as a planet is the ability to clear its orbit environment. This means that the planet's gravity must be strong enough to remove objects around it and secure its orbit. However, Pluto cannot meet this requirement because it still has many asteroids and comets orbiting around it.
Nevertheless, Pluto still has the nickname "dwarf planet" because it meets two of the planet's criteria. Pluto is one of five dwarf planets that have been discovered. Scientists hope that more dwarf planets will be discovered in the future.
Four of these dwarf planets were discovered outside Neptune's orbit, namely Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. The fifth dwarf planet, Ceres, is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Although Pluto is no longer considered a planet, its existence is still an important object in astronomy studies.
Interesting Facts About Pluto
Let's take a look at some interesting facts about Pluto after discussing why Pluto is no longer considered a planet:
Pluto's size is comparable to the size of the Moon.
Pluto takes 248 Earth years to orbit the Sun. Although Pluto was discovered in 1930, the planet completed only one full orbit in 2178.
Pluto is located far from the Sun.
Pluto is located far from the Sun, so it takes light more than five hours to reach the planet. The journey of light from the Sun to Pluto takes a very long time, while it only takes eight minutes to reach Earth.
Pluto has four moons.
Another interesting fact about Pluto is that this dwarf planet has four well-known moons, which are Charon, Nix, Hydra, and Kerberos. The largest moon of Pluto is Charon, which has a diameter of about half of Pluto's and orbits only 19,000 km from the planet's surface.
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