News n Space
Almost 75 years Pluto enjoyed the status of
a Planet.
A collection of information by Joseph Philip
The New Horizon spacecraft’s visit of
Pluto
In July, 2015 the world, especially, space
scientists were excited of the fact that
prestigious New Horizon is visiting Pluto
after completing a long journey of 9 years.
The spacecraft was launched in Jan. 19, 2006
aimed at a six-month-long exploration flyby
study of Pluto and its moons, in summer
2015.
Artist’s expression of New Horizon’s flyby:
NASA
Charon, Pluto’s moon has half its size. Hence
these planets are considered as twin planets.
This phenomenon was new to solar system.
Apart from this specialty there were many
other reasons why Pluto is removed from
planets list. Most obvious was its orbit which
is unlike other planets, crosses the orbit of
other planet. Of its 248 yearlong extra
elliptic journey, 20 years it will take a path
between Neptune and Uranus.
Ironically, when New Horizon started its
journey from earth Pluto was one of the
planet of Sun, but by the time it reaches
Pluto, the planets status changed to a dwarf
planet! In 1930, Clyde William Tombaugh, an
American astronomer, discovered Pluto.
As per the definition of planets, most import
is the ability of a planet to attain its spherical
shape. Planet should have enough mass to
have this level of gravitational force. Also it
should not allow other objects to its orbit.
Moreover, many objects found later in the
Kuiper belt, the same area were Pluto also is
located. Eris - 2003 UB 313, found many
years after discovery of Pluto was larger than
Pluto. All these factors resulted in Pluto
being classified as dwarf planet grouped
separately as Plutoid in August, 2006.