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Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Many Americans grew up with this as the definitive planetary lineup and created clever mnemonic devices to memorize them in ...
The debate over Pluto’s planetary status has been ongoing since its reclassification as a “dwarf planet” in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Recent discussions and new scientific ...
For many people, the definition of a planet was only made clear in 2006, when the spunky world Pluto was demoted from a planet to a dwarf planet. Now, a team of astronomers is pushing for “planet” ...
It’s been 18 years since Pluto’s celestial status was called into question—yet the matter seems far from settled. We asked experts from both sides to make their case. This 2015 NASA image of Pluto ...
Pluto may have lost its status as a full-fledged planet in 2006, but that doesn't mean it's a joke of a world this April Fools' Day and the folks behind Pluto TV want to make that clear. On April 1, ...
Pluto's days, though they drag on a bit at around 153 hours, are nothing compared to its years. Pluto's orbit takes 248 Earth ...
Everything you know about Pluto is probably wrong. Just ask a kid. Kids are much more up-to-date with knowledge about space and dinosaurs and other cool stuff we grown-ups haven’t read about in … well ...
Editor’s note: A version of this story originally appeared in Astronomy’s 2007 special issue 50 Greatest Mysteries of the Universe. For a more recent discussion of Pluto’s planethood, see “An ...