Pluto? Not a Planet

Pluto? Not a Planet
9 October 2014

Pluto is still not officially a planet. No matter what most people think, both scientist and non, until the International Astronomical Union has a vote, Pluto remains a dwarf planet.

According to the IAU a planet is defined as a celestial body that satisfy 3 conditions:

  1. it is in orbit around the Sun,

  2. it has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and

  3. it has “cleared the neighbourhood” around its orbit.

Now Pluto fails on the last bit, but in the video I explain why I think it shouldn’t be consider a planet and I discuss my definition of “planet”

CREDITS: Images courtesy of NASA, animation courtesy of the Digital Welshman