WHY PLUTO IS NOT CONSIDERED AS A PLANET ANYMORE? ~ The Comprendia

Reasons why Pluto is not a planet anymore

Pluto is one of the most controversial celestial body of our solar system.

Pluto's surface is composed of a mixture of frozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide ices. The dwarf planet also has polar caps and regions of frozen methane and nitrogen.

Our world was introduced to dwarf planets in 2006 which dethroned Pluto from it's planet status and it was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

What is the difference between a Dwarf Planet and a normal planet?

As explained by IAU the three criterias for a celestial body to be considered as a planet were

•It has an orbit around the sun

•Should have sufficient mass for a nearly round shape(hydrostatic equilibrium)

•Has cleared the neighborhood around it's orbit

So according to International Astronomical Unit(IAU) a "dwarf planet" is the one which follows the above two criterias but hasn't cleared it's neighborhood which means for a celestial body to be considered as a planet it should not have any other object around it's orbit other than it's own satellites and Pluto fails to meet this criteria.

And since Pluto hasn't cleared the neighborhood around it's orbit, it is considered as a dwarf planet. Pluto orbits in a disc-like zone called the Kuiper belt, a distant region populated with frozen bodies leftovers from the solar system's formation.

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About The Comprendia

The Comprendia was founded in 2019 owned and managed by Neelabh Jaiswal is an Indian technology news and science website which covers the intersection of science, astronomy, technology and engineering. It's mission is to provide in-depth relevant information and knowledge.