Yesterday was the day when this planet was officially named the ninth planet and after 75 or so glorious years; it was demoted mainly because it could not keep its surroundings clean!
That is what you get when your neighbourhood is dirty! You lose your planetary status!
That too when in addition to the planet, a Disney character (introduced the same year) and a major element discovered later were named in its honor!
The planet was discovered on February 18, 1930, by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona.
Searching for a predicted “Planet X” beyond Neptune, Tombaugh used a blink comparator to identify a moving object on photographic plates taken in January 1930. The discovery was officially announced on March 13, 1930.
The discovery was telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory on March 13, 1930, intentionally chosen to coincide with the anniversary of Lowell’s birth and the discovery of Uranus!
The planet was actually was named in 1930 by 11-year-old Venetia Burney from Oxford, England, who suggested the name of the Roman god of the underworld to her grandfather.
The name was chosen because the planet was dark, cold, and distant!
The Lowell Observatory officially adopted it, partially because “PL” are the initials of Percival Lowell!
The name fit because, as the god of the underworld, the god could make himself invisible, mirroring how the planet had been hidden, and it followed the naming convention of other planets (Jupiter and Neptune are brothers to the said Greek god!)
The staff at Lowell Observatory considered many names, including Minerva and Cronus, but voted unanimously for this name on March 24, 1930!
The name was officially announced on May 1, 1930, and Venetia received a five-pound reward from her grandfather!
After more than 75 years of being the beloved darling and ninth planet it was moved to the stature of a Dwarf planet!
This is because a ‘real’ planet must: 1) Orbit the Sun, 2) Be spherical (have enough mass for gravity to create a round shape), and 3) Have cleared its orbital neighborhood of other debris!
The planet however got only 2 out of three!
It orbits the Sun and is round, but it fails the third criterion. It is located in the Kuiper Belt, a region filled with other icy bodies and debris. Because its gravity is not strong enough to clear this area, it is not considered a “dominant” planet!
In 2006, the IAU or International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet because it fits the criteria of being round and orbiting the Sun but not having the gravitational dominance to clear its path! Basically it has it “has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects.”
Now do not feel sad! It has company!
The planet is now classified alongside other dwarf planets like Eris, Ceres, Haumea, and Makemake (that is not a song by Yohani!)!
Did you get the Planet or the dwarf planet? Do not say Uranus!
It is PLUTO!
Interesting story by the way, but why I wrote the blog was that in all this time; when it was called a planet and then discovered as a planet and when it was promoted and then demoted as a dwarf planet!
During all this time Pluto didn’t really care what we thought about it!
At some point in our life, I think we also should just do our job and not simply care what people think about you!
Just like Rohit Shetty who does not overthink when he makes his movies! Just some action and full PLUTO, I mean paisa wasool!
Now stop thinking about Pluto and sleep!
shubh ratri!
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