• Question: Would you consider Pluto a planet

    Asked by 596thaf37 to Christie, Dan, David, Dawn, Sian on 20 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Dawn Lau

      Dawn Lau answered on 20 Jun 2016:

      Scientists consider Pluto to be a dwarf planet. To be a planet, it must fit 3 criteria (from Wiki): it must orbit the Sun, it has sufficient mass to look round due to its own gravity, and it has “cleared the neighborhood” around its orbit. The last bit basically means that the object/planet in question must have enough gravitational force to clear any objects of similar size in its way of orbit. Pluto doesn’t meet the last criteria, so it has been re-classified as a dwarf planet.

    • Photo: Sian Thomas

      Sian Thomas answered on 20 Jun 2016:

      But if you are as old as me, despite knowing the criteria and understanding the reason, it will always be remembered as the one that used to be the smallest planet in the solar system, furthest from the sun 😉

    • Photo: Christie Waddington

      Christie Waddington answered on 21 Jun 2016:

      I learnt at school that Pluto was a planet, and still think of it as such! Technically though, it is a dwarf planet. Its orbit crosses with Neptune, and as Dawn said it’s too small to create a large enough gravitational force (our moon is bigger than Pluto!). I can see why it was demoted but I’ll still be sulking! haha.

    • Photo: David Robertson

      David Robertson answered on 21 Jun 2016:

      I’m happy to let other people worry about exactly whether it should be called a planet, dwarf planet, or whatever. It is still very interesting and strange and really quite small, less than 1/5 the mass of our moon.

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