What is it and should Pluto be a planet?

Learn about the controversial topic of whether or not Pluto should still be considered a planet.

Pluto has discovered in 1930 and for many years it was the ninth planet of our solar system. It is now called a dwarf planet because Pluto has been found to be too small to have enough gravity to form into a sphere, like most other planets.

The discovery of similar-sized objects around Pluto led astronomers to believe that Pluto should not be considered a planet either. What do you think? Should Pluto be a planet?

In this article, we will learn about what Pluto is, its history, and why astronomers believe it should not be considered a planet.

What Actually is Pluto?

Pluto is much smaller than other planets in the solar system, yet it manages to orbit around the sun just like its bigger friends.

Scientists are still unsure how this planetoid managed to form and sustain itself over time without being captured by another body’s gravitational pull.

Pluto’s moon system is as fascinating and complex as the planet itself. With five moons, Pluto has one of the most diverse collections in all our solar systems!

The names of these moons are Charon, Nix, Kerberos, Styx, and Hydra.

How Can We Observe Pluto?

Pluto being that far away from the Earth makes it difficult to observe.

The Hubble Space Telescope has given astronomers a good glimpse of Pluto and its moons, but more time is needed to learn more about this mysterious planetoid.

NASA launched a spacecraft in 2006, the New Horizons, to explore Pluto and its moons. After a nine-year journey, NASA finally captured images of this planetoid in 2015 which will help scientists learn more about it.

To this day, the New Horizons spacecraft continues to send images back of Pluto and its moons.

Pluto’s Surface

Pluto’s surface mostly contains nitrogen ice, but it also has methane and carbon oxide.

The mountains of Pluto are made of water ice.

The surface also contains many craters that have been formed by meteorites crashing into it over time, which is common for planets in the solar system.

Pluto Used to Be Volcanically Active

Due to Pluto’s location in the outer solar system, it is very unlikely that there will be any volcanoes erupting on its surface.

However, scientists believe that the dwarf planet used to have volcanic activity because of some craters found near mountains and other mountainous regions.

Pluto Has No Rings

Pluto doesn’t have any rings like the larger planets in our solar system.

Since Pluto is located farther away from the sun, there’s not enough gravitational pull to keep a ring together on its surface.

What Should Pluto Be Called?

Many astronomers believe that because it’s not a planet anymore, Pluto should just be called a dwarf planet. However, there are some who disagree with this point of view because they believe that Pluto has been found to be too small to be called a planet.

What Is a Dwarf Planet?

One of the lesser-known members that make up our solar system is a dwarf planet. These small bodies are not made from gas and dust like many others, but instead, have enough mass to assume round shapes and orbit around stars just like planets do.

What makes them different than their more well-known counterparts? The main difference between these two types of rests in how they formed in space: Planets form much closer to other celestial objects (such as star clusters), while dwarf planets exist farther away with plenty of open room for orbits – this means there’s less chance one will collide or run into something else!

The International Astronomical Union defines what it takes for an object to be classified as a Dwarf Planet according to four criteria; orbiting the sun, having enough mass to assume a spherical shape, not being gas or ice, and not being a satellite.

Last Thoughts

Pluto was originally classified as a planet, but it is now known to be one of the largest members of the Kuiper Belt.

The debate over whether Pluto should be considered a planet has been raging for years and there is no clear answer.