It is hard to believe that a little over a month ago you could have named all nine planets in our solar system and you would have been right. I remember in elementary school I had to learn all nine of them for a test and I memorized them by heart. I could name them in less than five seconds and could get an A on my test. Now, I don’t know what to believe whenever I hear there are only eight planets. Did Pluto just disappear or what? 

The whole reason for the change was a debate over whether or not to add the three new bodies (Sedna, Quaoar, and 2003 UB313) to the list of planets in our solar system. It was then discussed and later proposed, on August 24^th, by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), that there are only eight planets in our solar System. Each celestial body has to fit a certain criteria before being called a planet. It has to be in orbit around the sun, have a sufficient mass, and has to “clear the neighborhood”. This consideration of planet characteristics did not go over so well with all scientists. Astronomer Phil plait thought it was not a good idea to try and change the definition of the planet. Five days after the proposal, over 300 scientists signed a petition for a “better definition” of the planet.  

Overall, it seems to me that this is not going to be set in stone until most of the scientific community can come to an agreement about what makes a planet. It will probably be years before they will come up with a proper classification of what a planet is. One scientist might say there are nine planets while the next will say there is eight. It all depends on the opinion of the person. 

By: Zach Rogers