Pluto s Life As A Planet - 1436 Words

Pluto s life as a planet was very short, lasting only 75 years—which is less than a third of its orbital period. While Pluto independently orbits the sun in a spheroidal shape—two classifications for being considered a planet—Pluto lost its title with the discovery of Eris. Pluto also travels on a different plane than the rest of the planets, and because it has an extremely elliptical orbit, it occasionally crosses Neptune s orbital path and, therefore, is occasionally closer to Earth than Neptune (Countdown, 2011). As a dwarf planet Pluto is the only binary planet in the system due to one of its five moons being half of its size. Pluto, the ninth planet in our solar system, was mourned by many when astronomers decided in 2006 that it did not fit the definition of a planet. With the discovery of Eris (a dwarf planet bigger than Pluto) in 2005, it is easy to understand why astronomers finally ruled out Pluto as a planet. However, there has been a debate as to whether or not Pluto should be allowed back. The biggest downside to claiming Pluto as a planet again is that astronomers will have to classify other dwarf planets as a part of our solar system, forcing children to memorize at least 25 planets instead of eight (Lemonick, 2014). Whether or not it becomes a planet again, we will still be expanding our knowledge of the dwarf planet and its moons, as well as its impact in our solar system. The discovery of Pluto is quite interesting considering Lowell s dedication toShow MoreRelatedThe Earth s Planetary Group1104 Words   |  5 Pagesthe most fascinating was the point at which we discussed the earth s planetary group. I discovered that the earth s planetary group has numerous things in it, however as large as the earth s planetary group is it just has one stay which is called Sol which is otherwise called the sun. The earth s planetary group is 4.568billion years of age, and it comprises of eight planets. The IAU is right now perceiving five midget planets, however of the five there are perhaps a few hundred more to be namedRead MoreSci151 - Planetary Comparison1355 Words   |  6 Pages May 3, 2011 Norman Stradleigh Planetary Comparison Planet Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest of the planets of the Solar System. Earth’s surface is 71 percent water and is the only astronomical planet currently known where life exists. Earth is our home planet. Scientist and astronomers have studied our planet for Centuries and they have discovered much about our planet. Scientist have gained so much more knowledge of our Solar System in the lastRead MoreShould The United States Attempt A Manned Mission?927 Words   |  4 Pagescapabilities of humans. We desire to figure out our purpose of being the only known living and thriving planet in the Universe. We take satellite pictures of our planet as well as other planets in our solar system and out of it. Our solar system consists of an average star we call the Sun, the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. In addition, Mars is a planet that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have t aken an interest upon. The appealRead MoreIn a Category All Their Own: Dwarf Planets Essay1893 Words   |  8 Pagesobserved as either a star or a planet. During the twentieth century, with advancement in telescopes to see further into space with more accurate details, scientists were able to find numerous stars and planet like objects within the solar system. Scientists had no trouble classifying objects such as Uranus and Neptune as planets. However, the real trouble came when they discovered a planetary object called Ceres. Objects like Ceres and Pluto behaved similarly to regular planets. Because of the limitationsRead MoreSpace Exploration : Science Fiction1156 Words   |  5 Pagesyears. Ideas such as landing humans on mars, the recent flyby of pluto and landing a probe on an asteroid are related to space exploration.This trend is anything that is space related and gives us a better understanding of the universe. This trend affects everyone. Space exploration is a human achievement, if bacteria lif e is found on mars, then it would be a human discovery. When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon he said â€Å"That s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.† As previouslyRead MorePossibility Of Life On Europa1568 Words   |  7 Pages The thesis of this paper is that possibly finding life on Europa, likely in the future, will illuminate the origins of life on Earth but will likely cause conflict for some subcultures as well. Section 1: Possibility of Life on Europa There is possibility of finding life on Europa. Europa is one of four moons orbiting Jupiter. The premises of the possibility of life on Europa is that there are hydrothermal vents with life on Earth as well as on Europa. By observation, it is known that Europa hasRead MoreThe Planet Of Earth : Planet Earth1234 Words   |  5 PagesDescriptions of the 8 planets including a dwarf planet: Mercury: Mercury is only slightly larger than earth’s moon and the sun is the closest to this planet than any other planet. This planet can reach 840 degrees Fahrenheit (450 Celsius). Its diameter is 3,031 miles (4,878 km), its orbit is 88 earth days and mercury’s full day lasts 58.6 earth days. Venus: Venus takes first place when it comes to the hottest planet. Venus is substantially hot with an atmosphere that is toxic. The diameter isRead MoreApplication And Values Of The Non Living Entities1350 Words   |  6 Pagesto assist with locating specific places/things. God has given us his written word to serve as a GPS to help us navigate life’s turns and twists. Just like a GPS, the Bible only works if you use it. By using it we can avoid going the wrong way in life, and avoid situations and circumstances because God has filled it with coordinates that will lead us to him in all thing. Psalms 8:3 in the Bible says, When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You haveRead MoreResearch Review Of New Horizons 2375 Words   |  10 PagesResearch Paper– A Trip to Pluto Synopsis: New Horizons is the first probe to get within 8000 miles of Pluto. We currently think our best shot at finding extraterrestrial life is Mars or Europa, but if New Horizon were to send us signs of life from Pluto, it would drastically change goals for the future of space exploration. A manned mission to Pluto might go from a distant dream to a top priority, but the challenges of such a journey are immense. The spacecraft must be able to travel to the outerRead MoreThe Solar System1779 Words   |  8 PagesThe solar system consists of our sun and everything that travels around it such as, eight planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and other space objects. Our solar system is constantly in motion and has an elliptical shape which means it looks like an egg. It is believed to be more than 4 million years old and contain some of our most amazing discoveries. Theories suggest that our solar system along with our Universe formed due to the â€Å"big bang.† The big bang was an explosion that in response