This is a blog advocating the overturning and/or ignoring of the controversial IAU planet definition that demoted Pluto, the adoption of a broader planet definition that includes all dwarf planets, and the chronicling of worldwide efforts toward these goals.
In this latest study published in the Planetary Science Journal , researchers measure a thinning of Pluto's atmosphere as it recedes from the Sun. Whether the atmosphere completely freezes out as Pluto approaches its aphelion (furthest point from the Sun) in 2114 remains unknown.
Just days after the 11th anniversary of New Horizons' 2015 Pluto flyby, mission Principal Investigator Alan Stern was interviewed on NPR's Colin McEnroe show on the subject of "making the case for undoing." Stern is the third of three people interviewed--the other two addressed different topics. You can listen to Stern's interview at…
https://www.youtube.com/live/tIr7RO4qAvU?si=NtpjeX78v_ME1xjb
When longtime supporters of the IAU planet definition publicly come out rethinking their positions on this debate, we can regard their change of view as a sign that the tide is turning in favor of a more inclusive planet definition. Tonight, I could hardly believe what I was reading when a friend and fellow Pluto supporter tweeted me the link to an article by Ethan Siegel, to whom I have…
The distant Planet Pluto Adam Frank’s April 28 Forbes column, “ Quit Whining: Pluto’s Not a Planet ” is not just written in a very condescending, patronizing tone. It also includes outdated information and lacks important data based on which many planetary scientists consider Pluto and all dwarf planets to be a subclass of full planets. Words matter, and the words Frank uses are unprofessional,…
Twitter is currently buzzing with news of a 10-year-old girl named Kaela who has written to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman urging Pluto’s planetary reinstatement. Kaela, who was born 10 years after the controversial and wrongful IAU demotion of Pluto, is correct, and I wholeheartedly second her request. I have tweeted Isaacman myself asking his support for this. Her request is noteworthy not…
Today is International Pluto Day, marking the discovery of planet Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory 96 years ago, on February 18, 1930. It is a day to celebrate all things Pluto, a planet whose understanding has eluded people for nearly a century. When first discovered, Pluto’s planethood was questioned because telescopes of the time could not resolve it into a disk. Later, when it…
This weekend kicks off Lowell Observatory’s annual celebration of Pluto’s 1930 discovery by Clyde Tombaugh with its annual I Heart Pluto celebration. The celebration actually began last night, with a Beer Unveiling and Astronomy on Tap where this year’s Pluto-themed beer was unveiled. Tonight, there will be a Pluto Pub Crawl throughout Flagstaff, Arizona, where participants can enjoy custom-made…
The New Year begins with some good news for New Horizons and for many other NASA missions. The US House and Senate have passed a bill that rejects the cuts to NASA first proposed in June by the White House and instead approved $24.4 billion for NASA this year, of which $7.25 billion will go to the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. New Horizons will continue to be funded, as will all but one…
“Even the darkest night will end, and the Sun will rise.” ~ Victor Hugo, Les Miserables For me personally, the Winter Solstice is the most sacred day of the entire year, as it is the day the growing darkness (in the Northern Hemisphere) is halted, the day the Sun appears to pause at its lowest point before embarking on a new orbital path and bringing the lengthening of the days. Far back into…
Nineteen years. That is how much time has passed since the controversial IAU vote in 2006. Planetary science has been in a long-term stalemate over the issue of planet definition. The IAU refuses to re-open the debate based on new information, including that returned by New Horizons. At the same time, a large number of planetary scientists are using the geophysical planet definition and ignoring…
The conference “ Progress inUnderstanding the Pluto System: Ten Years Since Flyby ” covered a wide range of topics regarding Pluto, Charon, other KBOs, ocean worlds, and more. With apologies for the delay in this entry, I will focus now on two of these topics: Pluto’s atmospheric hazes and Charon’s geology and history. Launched in late 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observed Pluto’s…
“ Progress in Understanding thePluto System: Ten Years after Flyby ” was a focused, informative conference in which scientists spent four-and-a-half days discussing Pluto in detail, comparing it with other, similar solar system bodies, and celebrating the milestone 10 th anniversary of the 2015 New Horizons flyby. Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, opened the conference by describing…
It is almost impossible to believe, but tomorrow marks the 10 th anniversary of New Horizons’ historic Pluto flyby. To commemorate the anniversary and reflect on what has been learned about Pluto in the decade that has passed, the Universities Space Research Association’s (USRA) Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is holding a weeklong conference titled “Progress in Understanding the Pluto System:…
This image shows NASA missions that are cancelled in this bill The proposed US budget reconciliation bill, which many of us refer to as the Big Ugly Bill, is a huge disaster for NASA and its space programs, including New Horizons, and anyone who values our space program must do everything in our power to make sure it does not pass. Well known for its disastrous proposed cuts to Medicaid, , SNAP,…
This sounds similar to the formation theory for Arrokoth. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-make-groundbreaking-discovery-about-pluto-s-formation/ar-AA1Em10J?ocid=nl_article_link
Happy International Pluto Day! Ninety-five years ago today, on February 18, 1930, 24-year-old Clyde Tombaugh discovered Planet Pluto while blinking between photographic plates of the sky taken on two separate nights in January of that year. The goal was to find anything that moved against the background stars between nights. That object would not be a star but a planet within our solar system. The…
Lowell Observatory’s annual I Heart Pluto festival is back, celebrating the 95 th anniversary of Pluto’s discovery on February 18, 1930. This year’s celebration, held in Flagstaff, Arizona, features a Pluto Pub Crawl with Pluto-themed drinks and talks with Lowell astronomers; various science talks including a keynote Night of Discovery featuring Alan Stern, David Levy, and Adam Nimoy, son of Star…
Documents from and recordings of all presentations at the Lunar and Planetary Institute's Planet Characterization Conference, held in February 2024, are available for reading and viewing here . My presentation on February 21 was one of several under the heading, "The Impact of Taxonomy on Public Perception of Science and Our Universe: Advantages and Pitfalls. All the presentations are worth…
“It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but retire a little from sight and afterwards, return again.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Sometimes described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” December has its own special magic. While some religions celebrate miracles occurring at this time, the Winter Solstice, a scientific event, brings miracles and magic as well. In an…
It isn’t, as the Celestron website one-sidedly states on its page about observing Pluto, a “fun holiday to celebrate.” What today is is the anniversary of a terrible day for science and knowledge, a day in which a very political vote was taken, which has done tremendous harm to science education and communication over the last 18 years. “It” is the 18 th anniversary of the highly controversial…
PlutoTV, the free online television streaming site, will host a "Big Planet Energy" rally tomorrow, Monday, April 1, at 12 pm Pacific time (3 PM Eastern time) in support of Pluto's planethood. Although this is occurring on April 1, it is no joke! The day marks the 10th anniversary of PlutoTV, which is why it was chosen for this event. Dr. Alan Stern, planetary scientist, astronaut, and New…
It is time to celebrate! Today marks the 94 th anniversary of Pluto’s discovery by Clyde Tombaugh on February 18, 1930, at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The observatory is celebrating with its annual I Heart Pluto event this weekend, featuring a Pluto pub crawl, a talk by writer Diana Gabaldon, and various science talks and demonstrations. In honor of this anniversary, National…