Pluto stripped of its status as a planet.

[Ivan]

Link

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Pluto was stripped of its status as a planet on Thursday when scientists from around the world redefined it as a "dwarf planet", leaving just eight classical planets in the solar system.

Discovered in 1930, Pluto has traditionally been considered the ninth planet, and furthest from the sun, in the solar system.

However, the first definition of a planet approved after a heated debate among some 2,500 scientists and astronomers drew a clear distinction between Pluto and the other eight planets.

The need to define what it takes to be a planet stems from technological advances that enable astronomers to look further into space and to measure more precisely the size of celestial bodies in our solar system.

In addition to the categories of "planet" and "dwarf planet", the definition creates a third category to encompass all other objects, except satellites, to be known as small solar system bodies.

Now school teachers are going to have to come up with some other rhyme to help remember the names and order of the planets now that the pizza thing I was taught in school is out of date now. But I bet they won't even bother teaching that it's not the 9th planet anymore.

[Ghryphen]

I'm sad

I remember when we used to have 9 planets.

[OneManArmy]

so you're sad for the days when you were ignorant?

[tbdsamman]

Pluto should have never been a planet but at the time they didn't have a concrete definition so it became one. Imagine how this is gonna screw up "Name the planets in our solar system" question.

I'm glad they didn't use the "if its round, its a planet" definition, that would really screw things up.

[Ghryphen]

I think it should be planet, but then I'm biased as it is the only American plane...err....non-planet.

[OneManArmy]

unless pluto is full of chocolate and heading towards earth I dont care if they call it a muffin

[Giovanni]

Originally Posted by OneManArmy

unless pluto is full of chocolate and heading towards earth I dont care if they call it a muffin

[Ivan]

Originally Posted by OneManArmy

unless pluto is full of chocolate and heading towards earth I dont care if they call it a muffin

[Rbstr]

Well It's either pluto isn't a planet or a couple other recently discovered objects are planets.

[Ivan]

Yeah I was watching Nova I think it was on PBS. Yes I watch PBS... They were saying that there are two other objects that orbit our sun which could also be classified as planets if we stuck with the older definition.

[Giovanni]

It's badly made but I had to...

[Hamma]

mmmmmm.. muffins.

[LimpBIT]

Originally Posted by OneManArmy

unless pluto is full of chocolate and heading towards earth I dont care if they call it a muffin

I actually loled at that