Pluto demoted, told to "take a number"

**American Patriot** · September 12th, 2006, 20:15

Pluto and its moon Charon are seen in this image taken by the Hubble
Space Telescope on March 2, 2006.

Pluto demoted, told to "take a number"

Updated Tue. Sep. 12 2006 2:30 PM ET
Brian Jackson , DiscoveryChannel.ca
As if Pluto hadn't undergone enough embarrassment after being demoted to "dwarf planet" status, space scientists are now grouping it with mere asteroids.

In-fact, they've given it a number-based identification to reflect its demoted status.

The Minor Planet Center has re-designated Pluto as asteroid 134340. The former ninth-planet's moons Charon, Nix and Hydra will carry the new number as well, known now as 134340 I, II, and III.
The MPC is responsible for collecting data about asteroids and comets in our solar system. The September change is meant to better reflect the International Astronomical Union's recent decision to demote Pluto to dwarf planet status.

After a long career as the solar system's ninth planet, Pluto - MPC officials consider - is now one of 136,563 asteroid objects recognized by the organization.

But Pluto (or 134340) might not be down for the count just yet.
A separate statement from the organization states the new designation "does not preclude their having dual designations in possible separate catalogues of such bodies."

That means the organization is considering an entirely new catalogue system for dwarf planets.

Meanwhile, NASA's $500 million New Horizons mission is eight months into its ten-year voyage to fly by Pluto and photograph its surface for the first time.

**American Patriot** · September 12th, 2006, 20:15

http://reports.discoverychannel.ca/s...iscoveryReport

**Brian Baldwin** · September 14th, 2006, 21:30

Considering it is smaller than Earth's own moon I'd say, if size is the only classification process they're using, that is an asteroid. But it has an atmosphere which our moon and, as far as I know, most asteroids don't.

What I don't understand is this whole "Dwarf Planet" classification. We call Jupiter, Saturn, Uranius, and Neptune "Gas Giants". If Dwarf planets aren't true planets then how can Gas Giants be? Wouldn't they be similar? I mean if one's a planet then both should be or neither should be. Since Gas Giants don't have a surface like rocky core planets then wouldn't that make them failed stars? And if Pluto were considered a planet because of it having an atmosphere then would that mean that several moons around Jupiter and Saturn are also planets? Especially since some are almost as large as our planet... And we've found a couple of planets (gas giants) floating around in space without a nearby star. Wouldn't that enable Chiron and Pluto to be considered moons that are free floating without a nearby planet since they are basing this upon size?

It seems to me they didn't figure out anything that concretely points to a classification. A dwarf planet is either still a planet or it's an asteroid. There is no need for another name.