Do you agree with the IAU's 2006 decision of reclassifying Pluto as a Dwarf Planet, and thus, reducing the Solar System to 8 Planets?

[Physics-Man]

Yes

No

Other

[Massageman]

No. There are nine planets. Three constraints of a "planet" were concocted by Tyson and his cohorts: 1. Orbit the Sun ; 2. Have enough gravity to pull itself (substantially) into a sphere: 3. "Clear its territory" in its orbit.

1 and 2, no problem. But since Pluto is a part of the Kuiper Belt, and (is therefore designated as) one of the Kuiper belt Objects, its status was reduced at the end of the last day of a scientific convention, with only 10% of the attending scientists voting, with most of them having already left the convention early on that last day. Scores of other criteria were presented and still remain, but the vote stood (for whatever THAT is worth).

Pluto has five moons. Earth has one. Ah, but Earth has "cleared" its orbit. Well, maybe Mars and Jupiter are at risk of demotion since the asteroid belt is stuck between them. Well, the asteroids behave themselves more that the KBO's so I guess they're safe - for now. Tyson refused to have any debate with "Pluto-supporters", dismissing them with comments that implied, "we don't have to agree (but, we'll just go on with my beliefs)".

Questionable spec. Very questionable "voting" tactics. Rejection of any further discussion. In a trial, these would add up to MORE than "reasonable doubt". in my opinion, Pluto is still our ninth planet. Amen.

[Chazmatazz269]

Hahaha! Yes, but not that it matters. Nobody knows everything. The smartest thing extremely smart people do is defer to others who know more than they do on a given topic. I’ve read and watched a great deal about our planet and solar system, and i even understand a lot of it, but not all. If i’m not willing to defer to people who’ve made similar study their livelihoods and legacies, that’s not a sign of intelligence, but ignorance. I’m going to share this clip that brilliantly exemplifies my point, though it’s peripheral to your question, at best.

https://youtu.be/yCsgoLc_fzI

[Bee-Hatch]

If you bring Pluto back then Eris automatically has to become a planet as well. After all it was debate over Eris that led to Pluto getting removed in the first place. Eris is more massive than Pluto.

[purplepoppy]

They should scrap the gas planets. Being a ball of gas and ice shouldn't qualify you as a planet

[Bluemax]

Something tells me if you were an alien on Jupiter, a floater perhaps, you would probably be rallying to remove the terrestrials from planet status. 😉

[OlderAndWiser]

Pluto is the same size that it's always been. It's simply an argument about what you call it. Seems rather trivial to me.

[Bluemax]

Yes. There were astronomers questioning from the beginning that it was a planet.

When Ceres was discovered, they called it a planet. Then they kept finding other planetesimals in the same orbit and realized they had discovered a new region of the solar system; the asteroid belt.

So too with Pluto. Since it's discovery, we've discovered many more like it out beyond the orbit of Neptune. We're discovering a new region of the solar system, with new denizens!

That being said, in my heart, Pluto will *always* be a planet! I lovingly welcome it into my solar family! ♥️♥️♥️

The heart-shaped feature on Pluto (officially named Tombaugh Regio)? Yeah, never mind what planetologists say! That's a valentine to all the amateur astronomers who keep Pluto a planet in their hearts! 😉

#hugsforpluto

[MCheetah]

No, but I get why they did it, and I'm not "angry" about it like some people are. Science changes a lot. Some things are set in stone, but others have not yet had the final "consensus" on them yet.

By the way, did you know there are six oceans in the world now? When I was growing up, there were only four: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Artic.

[NamerOfStars]

A red shoe is a shoe. A Macintosh-brand personal computer is a personal computer. A great ape is an ape. And a dwarf planet IS A PLANET. They didn't lower the number of planets to 8; they raised it to 13.

[HippieVeganJewslim]

Pluto, Vesta, Eris, and other ‘minor’ planets ought to be planets.
How will the mnemonic of the order change, if Pluto ain’t no planet?
My Very Enormous Mother Just Swallowed Up Ninety Pizzas
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto.

[Deathraider]

Why is it such a controversial thing? Planets have a very specific set of features it refers to.

I mean just because Pluto is a dwarf planet, doesn’t mean it’s less interesting or important to explore. Nothing changes from the reclassification.

[NathanDavis]

never have, never will... it is nine planets, that's it

[BCRanger10]

No! I don't want to have to memorize a new mnemonic device!

[AviatorTom]

I understand the reasoning but I was sad to see Pluto go.

[StevieNix]

We sent a space craft to Pluto. It took nine years to get there. No one gave two shits. Let's focus on getting a president without dementia.

[WhiteSteve]

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles, and I refuse to be told anything to the contrary😒

[EnglishEuropean]

I've always considered Pluto a planet. If that means we have to have 10 planets I'm okay with that too. Nice round number.

[shortster]

How are we supposed to remember the names of the planets now? "My very educated mother just showed us nine..."

[Anonymous]

Yes. Because it's not a planet it's Kuiper belt object. Where it's at is the only thing that keeps it from being a comet.

[Wade12345]

No, Pluto has an atmosphere and plate tectonics. Its' stupid to call it a KBO.

[bolverk]

It makes no real difference in a practical sense, its still along way away and bloody cold.

[humanearth]

To me Pluto was always part of the system

[KrakenAttackin]

Fuck no! Pluto's Life Matters!!!