NASA Director Jim Brydenstein endows Pluto with planetary status. Previously, other astronomers came to a similar conclusion.
Dwarf planet or solar system object?
On August 24, 2019, experts noted a significant date - exactly 13 years have passed since Pluto officially became known as a dwarf planet (it lost the status of a planet). Previously, he was attributed to the planet of the solar system, but now he switched to the category of dwarf.
Not all experts agree with the leader Jim Brydenstein, who indicated the need to introduce Pluto into the category of planets in the solar system.
The head, walking around the establishment of the University of Colorado, quoted: “In my opinion, Pluto is a planet. You can safely declare that the head of NASA officially awarded Pluto the title of planet. ”
The assumption that the object belongs only to a dwarf planet came from Soviet astronomers. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union for the first time specified a characteristic of the concept of “planet”. Pluto did not meet the specified criteria, as a result of which scientists attributed the body to a group of dwarf planets, Ceres and Eris belong to it.
Dwarf planets
Dwarf planets are celestial objects orbiting around the sun. They reach the necessary weight category in order to possess a shape close to spherical under the influence of gravitational fields. Small bodies do not differ in such characteristics.
Dwarf planets cannot be called satellites. Their difference from ordinary planets is that such bodies cannot liberate their orbits from extraneous celestial bodies.
The International Astronomical Union officially assigned the status of dwarf planets to only five objects:
- Pluto;
- Eris;
- Ceres;
- Haumea;
- Makemake.
In addition, there are several dozen objects that can be defined as "dwarf planets." We remind you that the version that Pluto is called a planet was previously put forward by planetary scientist Philip Metzger, who works at the University of Central Florida. It stated that the established classification was subject to change. Her veracity is false.
Goblin
Following Pluto, scientists discovered another celestial body. So far he has been given the unofficial name of Goblin. The object is located 80 times farther from the Sun than the Earth. Its orbit is invaded by the previously discovered planet X. Whether it exists or this fiction remains to be proved in the future.
Scientists express the idea that there may be thousands of celestial objects like Goblin in the solar system.
