Is pluto a planet

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Is pluto a planet?

• By
• Diana Richards

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Heres Pluto!

• Size 1,480 mile (2,400 km) across
• Length of day about 6 earth days
• Average Distance from Sun 3.73 billion miles
• Average surface temperature -243 o F
• Number of known moons 3
• Weight of 100- pound Earthling 7 pounds

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Pluto The Wonder Years

• Discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh,
• Or was it?
• Was originally studied because of gravitational
  influence on Neptune and Uranus starting in 1905.
• Percival Lowell spent years searching for Planet
  X, and may have discovered it before his death in
  1916.

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What makes a Planet?

• In 2006 the International Astronomical Union
  (IAU) stated that a planet is a celestial body
  that

• is in orbit around the Sun
• has sufficient mass so that it assumes a
• hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round)
  
• shape
• has "cleared the neighborhood around its
  orbit.

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The Problem with Pluto

• Size..Smaller than our moon!
• Orbit is elliptical
• Pluto's highly elliptical orbit is off-center in
  relation to the sun
• Plutos Orbit Overlaps Neptunes orbit, which
  caused it to be the 8th planet from the sun
  during 1979-1999
• February 11, 1999 Pluto crossed Neptunes path
  again and became the ninth planet again

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Kuiper Belt

• A vast swarm of icy bodies beyond Neptune.
• So far, Pluto is one of the largest icy bodies in
  the Kuiper Belt.
• There are many other Kupier belt Objects (KBOs)
  that share Plutos orbital characteristics.
• So if Pluto is a Planet then there are other
  objects that may also be planets within the
  Kuiper Belt.

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• The Great Pluto War
• Which side are you on?

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R.I.P. Planet Pluto

• Some may argue that Pluto is not a planet
  because
• Pluto is too small to be a planet!
• Plutos orbit is too elliptical!
• Plutos moon Charon is only half the size of
  Pluto, while other planets are far larger than
  their moons.
• Pluto doesnt sweep up asteroids, comets, and
  other debris as other planets dominate their
  areas
• If Pluto is a planet than there are too many KBOs
  that could be planets too!

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Save Planet Pluto!

• Some may argue that Pluto is a planet
  because
• It has an atmosphere!
• It has moons!
• It does orbit the sun!
• Pluto is spherical!
• Only 424 of 10,000 astronomers voted on Plutos
  planet status!
• Other planets such as Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and
  Neptune share their orbits with asteroids.

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Pluto Demoted to Dwarf Planet

• On August 24, 2006 Pluto was officially renamed
  as a Dwarf Planet.
• IAU defines a dwarf planet as
• Planet that orbits the sun
• Enough mass for self-gravity and almost spherical
  shape
• has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit
• Is not a satellite
• Pluto
• 1930-2006

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First Graders Thoughts

• Pluto is a planet because
• Its in space just like the other planets.
• Just because its small doesnt mean it isnt as
  good as the other planets.
• Its better to have 9 planets instead of 8
  planets.
• Pluto was already a planet so you cant take it
  away now.
• Pluto is not a planet because
• Its too far away.
• Its messy.
• It doesnt circle the sun like the other planets.

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Ideas for the Classroom

• Take a vote and create a chart about whether
  Pluto should be a planet or not.
• Have a student debate on the controversial topic.
• Have students interview astronomers about their
  views on the topic.
• Create Save Pluto or Pluto is a Dwarf signs
  to protest the topic.

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• THE END