[Infowarrior] - IAU: Pluto downgraded

[Richard Forno]

Pluto downgraded

By Candace Lombardi
http://news.com.com/Pluto+downgraded/2100-11397_3-6109092.html

Story last modified Thu Aug 24 07:39:32 PDT 2006

Pluto has just been demoted.

The 2006 International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly voted
Thursday in Prague that Pluto, formerly known as a planet, will now be
considered a "dwarf planet."

The eight planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
and Neptune will be grouped as "classical planets."
Pluto

Members of the IAU, a community of astronomers from around the world, have
been meeting since late last week to debate and vote on a series of
resolutions that include definitions of solar system bodies. The IAU General
Assembly is held every three years. This session, four terrestrial bodies in
particular have been the focus of the debate, the most prominent being
Pluto.

Varying proposals from IAU members included referring to these smaller
terrestrial bodies in different areas of the solar system as "planetoids"
and "trans-Neptunian objects." Resolution 6A proposed referring to the
smaller objects as "plutonian objects." Another resolution proposed the idea
of a hierarchy of "planets," "dwarf planets," and "small solar system
bodies," according to the IAU. Still others wanted to keep Pluto as a
planet, but come up with alternatives for the other three.

IUA President Ron Ekers and other members of the IUA board are expected to
hold a press conference Thursday on the final outcome of all the resolution
votes in Prague.