Pluto Isn't A Planet — But It Gives Us Clues For How The Solar System Formed

Short Wave

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🗓️ 18 June 2024

⏱️ 17 minutes

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Summary

Pluto hasn't been a planet for almost 20 years. In the early 2000s, scientists discovered several objects of a similar size to Pluto. So, during the summer of 2006, members of the International Astronomical Union convened in Prague to reconsider what counts as a planet in our solar system. IAU members decided that there were three criteria to be a planet — and Pluto did meet all of them.

But planetary scientist Wladymir Lyra says that even though it was downgraded to a dwarf planet, Pluto still has much to teach us about planet formation. This episode, he also lays out his case for Pluto — and many other objects in the solar system — to be considered a planet.

This episode is part of Short Wave's space camp series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe. Check out the full series.

Questions about the state of our universe or smaller happenings here on planet Earth? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to consider it for a future episode!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This message comes from NPR sponsor Morgan Stanley with their podcast,
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0:12.0	from experienced financial advisors.
0:15.1	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:19.7	Hey Shortwaivers, so as part of our Shortwaive Space Camp Camp series were dropping every Tuesday, we recently
0:24.8	asked you to tell us what's your favorite planet, and you called in from all over.
0:30.4	This is John Ericsson, a retired planetarium operator from Richmond, California.
0:35.0	And I live in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
0:37.0	My name is Marina, and I live in New Little Georgia.
0:42.0	You named a lot of good ones.
0:44.0	Saturn is a favorite planet of mine.
0:47.0	It's got bright rings, awesome moons,
0:49.0	and atmospheric waves that make a hexagon around the North Pole.
0:54.0	My favorite planet is Earth because we live here and everyone I love is here.
0:59.0	It is the only planet with dogs and I have two dogs.
1:02.0	My favorite planet is Uranus.
1:04.0	Because it's been sideways.
1:06.0	But the one you didn't name was Pluto.
1:09.0	That's because Pluto isn't a planet.
1:12.0	It's now a dwarf planet. In 2006, a meeting in
	...

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