ICSE Class 9 Answered

Why has Pluto been stripped of the planet hood?

Asked by Topperlearning User | 12 May, 2015, 12:05: PM

Expert Answer

Pluto has been stripped of its planet hood and has been declared as a dwarf planet. According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), two main (apart from other) conditions should be fulfilled for an object to be classified as a planet:

It should not be a star and should revolve around a star.
It should have enough mass for its self gravity to overcome other rigid body forces.
Pluto does not fulfill the above conditions. Further, it does not revolve in an elliptical path around the Sun and its path also greatly varies. Its size is also not as big as compared to other planets. Pluto is of the same size as one of its moons, ‘Charon’.

Due to all the above factors, Pluto has been declared as a dwarf planet.

Answered by | 12 May, 2015, 02:05: PM