Pluto’s Classification Might Get Revised…AGAIN!
In 1930, a famous Disney cartoon character named Pluto made its debut. Coincidentally, that same year, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh made a significant discovery in the solar system—a celestial object that would later be named Pluto. Some argue that the animated dog was named after the newly found planet to capitalize on its popularity, but the true reason remains uncertain. What is certain is that both Pluto, the character, and Pluto, the small planet, have continued to captivate astronomers and the public alike since their respective discoveries.
From the start, astronomers faced difficulties in classifying Pluto. The question of whether it should be considered a planet or a dwarf planet has persisted over the years. Recently, the discovery of one of Pluto's moons, Charon, has once again sparked discussions about its classification. Some propose that the Pluto-Charon system should be classified as a binary dwarf planet system.
This classification would recognize the interconnected nature of the two bodies, emphasizing their shared characteristics and dynamics. But it’s not that easy.
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Pluto
So, back in 1930, big things were happening in the field of astronomy. They were making all kinds of advancements and discovering some pretty cool stuff. One of the most interesting finds happened at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona.
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Dwarf Planet Definition
As of today, a dwarf planet is a celestial body orbiting the Sun, that has enough mass to be spherical in shape and that has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. The last condition, in short, sets an upper boundary to the gravitational pull of a dwarf planet. Think of a massive object as a vacuum cleaner that is able to devoid its surroundings of anything that crosses its path.
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Charon
The honor of discovering Charon falls to Dr. James Christy, an astronomer at the United States Naval Observatory. In June 1978, while conducting observations of Pluto, Christy noticed a peculiar elongation in the planet's shape. That was Charon.
Double Planets Existence
Well, it depends on the labels we give. While the definition of a binary planet system varies, there has yet to be any discovery of two planets revolving around a common center of mass. However, if we broaden the definition of a planet, there are instances where two bodies are much closer in mass.
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DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA
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Credits: Ron Miller, Mark A. Garlick / MarkGarlick.com ,Elon Musk/SpaceX/ Flickr
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00:00 Intro
00:02 The story of Pluto and its name
3:26 Dwarf planet definition
4:36 Charon , Pluto's Moon
7:40 Double planet existence
8:50 90 Antiope planet
11:30 ●Formation of our Solar System and Planets.
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#insanecuriosity #pluto #charon
