ShouldPlutoBeConsideredaPlanet?

Sincethemid1900s,studentshavebeentaughtaboutthenineplanets.
Yourparentsprobablylearnedthattherewere9planets.But,in2006,
theInternationalAstronomicalUnion(IAU)droppedPlutofromthelist.
Why?ShouldtheyhaveremovedPluto?Yourjobtodayistoreadsome
informationaboutPluto,theIAUdefinitionofplanetandmakeadecision
astowhetherPlutoshouldorshouldnotbereinstatedasaplanet.

Readbotharticlesandcompletethequestionsastheyarepresentedon
eachpage.Whenyouaredone,talktoyoursmallgroupaboutwhatyou
think.Then,Createapersuasiveposterthatwillconvinceareaderto
believeyouropinion.Yourpostermustcontain:

A.Adrawingorpicturerelativetoyourcause
B.Astatementofyourposition(Ithink..)
C.Atleastonefactthatsupportsyourposition(because)

REASONSWHYPLUTOSHOULDSTILLBEAPLANET

DemotingPlutoisunfair.Thenewdefinitionofplanetreliesoninformation(mass,shape)that
wasnotandcouldnotbeknowninthe1930s.

Thenewdefinitionrequiresthataplanetberound.EventheEarthisnotreallyround.

DontjudgePlutobythecompanyitkeeps.Thenewdefinitionrequiresthataplanet
gravitationallyclearitsorbit.WhataboutasteroidsatJupiter?WhataboutNEARs(NearEarth
Objects)atEarth?Whataboutdust?Thatrulecouldreducethenumberofplanetstozero!
Thenewruleiscircular,anyway.(Nopunintended.)Ifanobjectreallyismassiveenoughto
clearitsorbit,itsgoingtobeselfcompressedround.

Theplayingfieldisnotlevel.Abodysdifficultyinclearingitsorbit(really,thevolumethatit
mustclear)increasesasyougetfurtherfromtheSun.ClearingismostdifficultforPluto,the
furthestplanet.Plutoisaproductofapoorneighborhood.IfMars,likePluto,livedina
clutteredregionsuchastheKuiperBelt,itwouldnolongerbeconsideredaplanet.Instead,
Marswasbroughtupataritzyaddress.ItsgotmassiveJupiternearbytohelpcleanupits
orbit.Sure.Letthebutlerdoitforyou!

Thenewplanetdefinitionwasnotchosenthroughatransparentprocess.Despitethebest
effortsofthecommitteeanditschairman,thestorygivestheimpressionthatscienceisdone
inthebackroom.
TheInternationalAstronomicalUnionplanetdefinitionvotewasnotdonecorrectly.

Bytheway,whatswiththatsubstitutedwarfplanetthing?Youmeanadwarfplanetisnota
planet?IsaDwarfHumanarealHuman?

KidslikePluto.Itsoundscute.Worse,somethinkPlutohasdisappeared!

A. WhatisthemostimportantfactonthispagefortheargumentthatPlutoshouldstillbe
aplanet?

 WhyisPlutonolongerconsidereda
planet?
Sinceitsdiscoveryin1930,
Pluto
hasbeenabitofapuzzle:

It'ssmallerthananyotherplanetevensmallerthanthemoon.
It'sdenseandrocky,liketheplanetsclosesttotheSun.But,Plutoisclosertothegasgiantsinthe
outersolarsystem.SomescientistsbelievethatPlutocamefromelsewhereandwastrappedby
theSunsgravity.Someeventhinkitwasonceamoonofanotherplanet.
Pluto'sorbitisdifferentfromtheotherplanets.TheplanetsinourallorbittheSuninarelatively
flatplane.Pluto,however,orbitsthesunata17degreeangletothisplane.Inaddition,itsorbit
crossesNeptune'sorbit.

TheIAUdevelopedadefinitionofplanetin2006becauseofcontroversyaboutPlutosstatusasplanet.
ThisistheIAUdefinitionofplanet.

Aplanetisacelestialbodythat(a)isinorbitaroundtheSun,(b)hassufficientmassforitsselfgravityto
overcomerigidbodyforcessothatitassumesahydrostaticequilibrium(nearlyround)shape,and(c)has
clearedtheneighbourhoodarounditsorbit.

PlutoisrelativelyroundandorbitstheSun,butitdoesnotmeetthecriteriabecauseitsorbitcrosses
Neptune'sorbit.Criticsoftheresolutionarguethatotherplanetsinthesolarsystem,includingtheEarth,
havenotclearedtheneighborhoodaroundtheirorbits.TheEarth,forexample,regularlyencounters
asteroidsinandnearitsorbit.

A. WhatisonefactinthisarticlethatsupportsPlutoisnotaplanet?