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The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet

Clarence Brooks

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Published in The Pluto Files: The Rise And Fall Of America S Favorite Planet: The Rise And Fall Of America S Favorite Planet

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In 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered a small, icy world at the edge of our solar system. He named it Pluto, after the Roman god of the underworld. For decades, Pluto was considered the ninth planet from the sun. It was featured in textbooks, children's books, and even Disney movies. But in 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet. This decision sparked a heated debate among astronomers and the public alike.

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet

by Neil deGrasse Tyson

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2893 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	209 pages

In her new book, The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, Alice Bowman tells the story of Pluto's rise to fame, its fall from grace, and its enduring legacy as a beloved celestial object. Bowman draws on extensive research and interviews with astronomers, historians, and educators to provide a comprehensive and engaging account of Pluto's place in our culture.

Bowman begins by describing the early days of Pluto's discovery. Tombaugh was a young astronomer working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was using a blink comparator to search for a ninth planet that had been predicted by Percival Lowell, the observatory's founder. On February 18, 1930, Tombaugh found what he was looking for: a small, faint object moving slowly across the sky. He named it Pluto, after the Roman god of the underworld.

Pluto quickly became a popular object of study. Astronomers were eager to learn more about this mysterious new world. They discovered that Pluto was much smaller than they had expected, and that it had a highly elliptical orbit. Pluto also had a strange moon, Charon, which was nearly half the size of Pluto itself.

For decades, Pluto was considered the ninth planet from the sun. It was featured in textbooks, children's books, and even Disney movies. But in the early 2000s, astronomers began to discover more and more objects in the outer solar system that were similar to Pluto. These objects were called Kuiper Belt objects, and they posed a challenge to the traditional definition of a planet.

In 2006, the IAU voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet. This decision was controversial, and it sparked a heated debate among astronomers and the public alike. Some astronomers argued that Pluto met all the criteria of a planet, while others argued that it was more like a Kuiper Belt object. The IAU's decision was ultimately based on the fact that Pluto does not meet the third criterion of a planet, which is that it must "clear its orbit of other objects." Pluto's orbit is intersected by the orbits of several other Kuiper Belt objects, so it does not meet this criterion.

The reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet was a major disappointment to many people. But it also opened up new possibilities for the study of the outer solar system. Astronomers are now studying dwarf planets and Kuiper Belt objects with renewed interest, and they are learning more about the fascinating diversity of our solar system.

The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet is a fascinating look at the history of Pluto, from its discovery in 1930 to its controversial reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006. Author Alice Bowman tells the story of Pluto's rise to fame, its fall from grace, and its enduring legacy as a beloved celestial object. Bowman's book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the history of astronomy, the solar system, or the enduring power of human fascination.

The Enduring Legacy of Pluto

Despite its reclassification as a dwarf planet, Pluto remains a popular and beloved celestial object. It is still featured in many textbooks and children's books, and it continues to inspire artists, writers, and musicians. Pluto's enduring legacy is a testament to its unique place in our culture.

Pluto is a reminder of the vastness and mystery of our solar system. It is a world that is unlike any other, and it continues to fascinate us with its beauty and its strangeness. Pluto is a reminder that there is still so much that we do not know about our universe, and it is a testament to the power of human curiosity and exploration.

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet

by Neil deGrasse Tyson

4.6 out of 5