TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – At first Pluto regarded as planet ninth in the Solar System. However, in 2006, this status was revoked. What is the reason?
Reported from Library of Congress, this decision was taken by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a scientific organization that regulates the definition and classification of objects astronomy.
This decision sparked debate and disappointment among the people because it was considered to change tradition and history. At the IAU General Assembly discussing the proposal to downgrade Pluto, this was a watershed moment for the rest of the solar system.
After fierce debate by members of the IAU, a resolution was passed formally defining the term planet. Prior to 2006, the term planet did not have a precise definition.
What used to be a general word used to describe large objects in the solar system has now become specific. Now the definition of a planet is a celestial body that is large enough, round in shape, and has a gravitational orbit around the sun.
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The IAU also issued an official definition setting out three criteria, namely the object must orbit the sun, have a nearly spherical shape due to gravity, and be “clear” around its orbit (no object has significant mass near its orbit).
Pluto fails to meet this third criterion because there are other objects nearby. Pluto is now classified as a minor planet because, while it is large enough to be spherical, it is not large enough to exercise its dominance of the orbit.
History of Pluto
Quoted from Library of Congress, Before being known as the planet Pluto, this object was discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, on February 18, 1930.
Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh, with contributions from William H. Pickering. During this era the world of astronomy engaged in intense planet hunting, and Pickering was a prolific planet predictor.
Discovery this made headlines around the world. Lowell Observatory, which owns the rights to name the new object, received more than 1,000 suggestions from around the world. The name Pluto itself was suggested by Venetia Burney, an eleven year old schoolgirl in Oxford, England.
Editor’s Choice: Story Planet Pluto Gets Its Name from an 11-Year-Old Boy on May 1, 1930
2023-08-27 09:30:00
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