Article: Q: Why is a Pluto no longer a planet?

Byline: Bill Robertson

Brian Diskin

In recent years astronomers discovered a number of objects in the solar system that are similar to the dwarf planet formerly known as Pluto.

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto is no longer a planet, but rather a "dwarf planet." How did this happen? Did astronomers discover new information about Pluto? Did our understanding of the solar system undergo a radical change? Nah. It might seem that way, though. A few scientists seemed rather upset about the reclassification of Pluto, and many science educators have hailed this as a major change in scientific ...

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