Since Neptune’s gravity influences its neighboring planet Pluto, and Pluto shares its orbit with frozen gases and objects in the Kuiper belt, the IAU’s 2006 requirement meant Pluto was out of planet status. They recommend the requirement that a planet clear its own orbit be removed and that it should focus on one all-important characteristic that gets lost in the current definition – that a planet is or has been geologically active.Ĭlearing its own orbit means that a planet is the largest gravitational force in its orbit and doesn’t share or cross its orbit with other bodies in space. The researchers say the IAU’s current definition is rooted in folklore, including astrology, and that the organization should rescind it. In a study appearing recently in the journal Icarus, 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 made in 2006 to create a new definition, one that made Pluto no longer a planet. As the new space race continues, a team of top researchers says one thing needs to be cleared up – what exactly is a planet?
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