Controversial Decision that Booted-Out Pluto Appears to be Rooted in Folklore and Astrology – Certainly We Can Do Better

Posted by Guy Pirro | 01/13/2022 06:37PM | 2 Comments

A team of top researchers say one thing needs to be cleared up -- “What exactly is a planet?” In a recent study, the researchers hope to set the record straight with a look at how a planet’s definition has changed since the time of Galileo to the controversial decision the International Astronomical Union (IAU) made in 2006 to create a new definition, one that made Pluto no longer a planet. The researchers say the IAU’s current definition is rooted in folklore, including astrology, and that the organization should rescind it. So, what is a planet? For generations the answer was easy -- A big ball of rock or gas that orbited the Sun. And there were nine of them in our Solar System. But then astronomers started finding more Pluto-sized objects orbiting beyond Neptune. Then they found Jupiter-sized objects circling distant stars -- First by the handful and then by the hundreds. Suddenly the answer wasn't so easy. Were all these newly found things planets? The IAU, who is in charge of naming newly discovered worlds, tackled the question at their 2006 meeting. They tried to come up with a definition of a planet that everyone could agree on. But the astronomers couldn't agree, so they voted and picked a definition that they thought would work. The results have been mixed. In the end, the IAU did accomplish one thing -- They figured out a way to turn something simple into something complex.