From the time Clyde W. Tombaugh first discovered Pluto in 1930, it was viewed as an oddball planet leading up to its reclassification in 2006. For decades, Pluto was once used as a benchmark for the outer reach and size of our solar system. In recent years, new discoveries of celestial bodies within the vicinity of Pluto’s orbit have challenged its planetary status. The debate over Pluto’s classification was discussed throughout several media and news articles, leading to serious controversy amongst astronomers and the decision as to whether or not Pluto should be categorized as one of the planets in our solar system.
The articles used in this essay that will cover the debate over the classification of Pluto’s planetary status were retrieved from The Globe and Mail, New York Times, CBS News and BBC News. Established authors, scientists and journalists wrote the chosen articles from around the world in locations such as Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. The articles primarily focus on the astronomer’s viewpoint from a scientific perspective, although they include some insight from the general public as well. The time frame in which the debate was covered amongst these articles begin during the late 1990’s when Pluto’s planetary speculation began, up until its reclassification in 2006 and shortly thereafter. The articles were chosen because they assess Pluto’s demotion from a scientific standpoint utilizing factual information, but also include personal opinions of the opposing views between astronomers and journalists.
The earliest referenced article that discusses the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status came from The Globe and Mail and was titled “What In The World” on January 27, 2001. At this time, many astro...
... middle of paper ...
... and scientific perspective leading up to Pluto’s demotion to ‘dwarf planet’ in 2006. Unfortunately for some, Pluto does not fulfill the three qualifications in order to be classified a planet. The decision made by Dr. Brown and members of the IAU sparked a controversial debate amongst astronomers and laypeople alike, suggesting their

decision may not have been an appropriate one. Despite the struggle to keep Pluto’s planetary status after “capping years of intense debate, astronomers have resolved to demote Pluto in a wholesale redefinition of planethood that is being billed as a victory of scientific reasoning over historic and cultural influences”14.
Works Cited
Kenneth Chang. The New York Times. “Astronomers Find Another Planet in Solar System”. July 29, 2005. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/29/science/29cnd- planet.html?pagewanted=1&_r=4&
There is a cultural assumption that there are many alien civilizations in the universe. However, what do we really know about extraterrestrial life? With recent findings of water on Mars and the discovery of Trappist-1, there could be hope for extraterrestrial life out in the universe. Even though the water on Mars is frozen under the polar ice caps and Trappist-1 could be far from finding any alien life, there are still many articles supporting the research and looking forward to finding additional news. In the article “Could the TRAPPSIT-1 worlds harbor alien life?’ written by Liz Fuller-Wright, she reports the announcement of astronomers that they found a miniature solar system of seven Earth-sized planets. Furthermore, the argument is effective towards bright individuals because it makes one think about what it will be if there was actually life outside of Earth.
Spencer, Wayne. "Revelations in the Solar System." Revelations in the Solar System. Christian Ministries International, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. http://creation.com/revelations-in-the-solar-system
... Americans take for granted the technology that saves their lives in car crashes, firefighting, airplane crashes, and countless other applications. Much of the generation from the 1960’s may remember how inspired they felt by NASA’s ambition to do something as amazing as walk on the moon. Today, that inspiration is found in many smaller; yet still significant, creations for NASA programs. Somebody once dreamed of capturing an asteroid, and now NASA strives to make that dream come true. For those people who stare at the sky and question the twinkling lights blinking at them, NASA endeavors to study the more advanced systems of stars by using Pluto as a scale model. Simply because they promote better inventions, encourage creative dreams, and produce new actualities, NASA programs are worth every penny and Americans need to reconsider where they would be without NASA.
It was at first thought to be bigger than Pluto later it ended up being somewhat smaller than Pluto. Eris finishes one rotation around the Sun in 580 years. Eris is the reason why Pluto’s planetary status was changed to being a dwarf planet. The Kuiper Belt has a section called Classic Kuiper Belt. This is the busiest area of this belt and is situated at a distance of around 42 to 48 AU. In the beginning, when the solar system was created gas, dust and rocks, came together to form planets. Most of the debris was swept away by gravitational pull for those planets, but some debris survived because they were far enough away to not be affected by the gravitational pull for those planets. Finding the Kuiper Belt gave us more insight into the mystery of the objects located in the Kuiper belt. Most KBO’s are so far away that their measurements cannot be concretely calculated. By using the data collected by the Spitzer space Telescope most of the KBO’s have known sizes. In 2015 the New Horizon Spacecraft flew past Pluto for an up close exploration of the Kuiper Belt Objects. The primary real expectation of the Kuiper belt's presence, most planetary researchers now agree, originated from Uruguayan cosmologist Julio
The majority of people have a very basic understanding of Earth, the planet we reside in, let alone the seven other planets in our solar system. The eight planets surrounding our star, the Sun, are separated into two very simple categories: Jovian and Terrestrial Planets. Throughout this paper, I will be explaining the basic structure and properties of the eight planets in our solar system, along with a brief history on the discovery of our solar system and what’s to come in the future. I will also go in depth into the difference between the Jovian Planets and the Terrestrial Planets, from the basic differences to the different structures and properties.
Arguably, in the history of ideas, Plato has planted the strongest and deepest seeds to the mind of humans and we have been pondering and trying to exercise them ever since. His “theory of forms” will be discussed, and somewhat hesitantly dismissed, in the context as he writes in the works of “The Republic”, because his theory is sound the same way math equations are sound and lead to undisputable answers, but problematic in how it can be proved and to whom it actually benefits will always vary. The definition of knowledge is too undetermined for Plato’s ideas to be necessary. Lastly his notion that philosopher kings must rule the ideal city will be decisively dismissed because the word “ideal” leaves room for creation and I argue that permanent procedures can be placed in the “ideal” society, which leaves open the position or positions of power for anyone to operate and the philosopher king no longer is needed for the “ideal” city to it run.
“In a fraught fiscal climate, NASA should focus on what it does best and on what offers the best return on investment. Solar system exploration meets both criteria: the U.S. has long led the interplanetary charge, and the resulting scientific benefits have come at a relative bargain. This year NASA 's planetary science program cost about $1.5 billion -- less than what NASA spent designing a congressionally mandated rocket, the Space Launch System, which appears more likely to satisfy aerospace contractors than to aid the cause of space exploration. Such directives from lawmakers all too often land in NASA 's lap without the funds to carry them out (To The
Although Pluto was discovered in 1930, limited information on the distant planet delayed a realistic understanding of its characteristics. Today Pluto remains the only planet that has not been visited by a spacecraft, yet an increasing amount of information is unfolding about this peculiar planet. The uniqueness of Pluto's orbit, rotational relationship with its satellite, spin axis, and light variations all give the planet a certain appeal.
In 1609, Galileo Galilei, using “spyglass” which allowed one to see things closer than they appeared, made an early version of the telescope. With it, he observed the skies in a way no one had before. He discovered the moon isn’t perfectly globular, it has craters, the Sun has sunspots, Venus orbits the Sun (contrary to widespread belief in his time), and then he observed four “stars” around Jupiter (“Our Solar System”). Within days, he realized that these objects were not stars, they were moons. Io, Ganymede, Castillo, and Europa are known as the Galilean Moons or Satellites, collectively. During the 19th century, the first measurable physical studies of these moons became achievable when Simon de Laplace derived the satellite masses from their shared gravitational perturbations and afterward, other workers used a new generation of telescopes to measure the mass of these moons. The data collected showed that the density declined from the inner to the outer satellites. According to Adam Showman, “More recent observations of water ice on the surfaces of the outer three moons led to the inference that the satellite compositions range from mostly silicate rock at Io to 60% silicate rock and 40% volatile ices (by mass) at Ganymede and Callisto” ( 77). The Voyager flybys of Jupiter in 1979 exposed indication of extensive geological activity like Europa's fractured terrains, which probably result from tidal heating and bending...
Magazines want to catch your attention so the article’s authors will dramatize the story to gain attention. The credibility for magazines are at a low level in general. Though both articles used in this assignment are from well-established publishers. Pearson’s article was published in Science Focus, where adding credible sources is significant. Pearson added plenty of information from the reports from NASA.
Many issues have arisen from the debate whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a “minor planet” due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features.
This project for Earth Science proved to be quite engaging. At first, I thought that the project was going to be long and arduous, however, being able to choose my topic for the project actually helped in galvanizing interest in it. Through this project, I learned a whole lot about the Jovian planets that fascinated me when I was a child. From gargantuan Jupiter, ringed Saturn, peculiar Uranus, and stormy Neptune, I learned many facts that I couldn’t discover outside of Earth Science. I learned many facts like how the Jovian planets got their colors, and whether or not Gas Giants are solely made of gas. I enjoy the fact that we are able to choose what we want to research about, choosing what interests us the most. Thanks to this project, I feel that I know just a bit more about the vast amount of knowledge of our Universe.
'A discovery so unexpected could only have singular circumstances, for it was not due to an astronomer and the marvelous telescope…was not the work of an optician; it is Mr. Herschel, a [German] musician, to whom we owe the knowledge of this seventh principal planet.' (Hunt, 35)
In addition to its moons, Pluto has a core, geology, seasons, and an atmosphere. Alan Stern is a planetary scientist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA). According to Stern, “I can’t think of a single distinguishing characteristic that would set apart Pluto and other things that you’d call a planet, other than its size. So I like to say, ‘a Chihuahua is still a dog.’” Also from Discovery Education the text states, “Other astronomers have noted that their colleagues sometimes call Jupiter a giant planet. Why can’t Pluto be called a dwarf planet without being downgraded from planet status?” Another fact stated from Discovery Education was, “about 90% of the planets known to astronomers are outside Earth’s solar system. Some of these extra-solar planets do not fit the IAU’s definition of a planet. Yet IAU astronomers still refer to them as planets.” USA Today stated, “The debate among Gingerich, Williams and Dimitar Sasselov, director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative, took place Sept. 18 with scientists, teachers and civilians watching. Two of the three, Gingerich and Sasselov, said Pluto should be a planet. A vote among audience members agreed.” Another statement mentioned by USA Today was, “Harvard science historian Owen Gingerich, who chairs the IAU planet definition committee, argued at a forum last month that "a planet is a culturally defined word that changes over time," and that Pluto is a planet.” Finally from CNN they interviewed Alan Stern, a member of NASA, who said, “We're just learning that a lot of planets are small planets, and we didn't know that before” and “Fact is, in planetary science, objects such as Pluto and the other dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt are considered planets and called planets in everyday discourse in scientific