Pluto Pros And Cons Summary

The quest for classification of Pluto carried on as Neil deGrasse Tyson collaborated with various other leading figures who debated the validity of classifying Pluto as a planet. “The Pluto Files” documented Tyson’s trip across the country to meet with correspondents who both agreed in denouncing Pluto as a planet and those who quite strongly opposed. It all started in the planetary museum in which the model of the solar system did not include Pluto. Instead, it took a trip downstairs to find the model of the Kuiper Belt where Pluto is categorized and shown as a small dot amongst a sprinkling of others. This lack of Pluto caused an uproar of which Tyson was not expecting, and which he willingly chose to speak out against. His meeting with other

scientists led to a discussion of the qualities Pluto has and those it lacks, leading to the question of its planetary status. Such qualities discussed are reminiscent of the Dunne article, “Blowing My Mind.” Dunne talks of the recent exploration of Pluto, and the remarkable discoveries found upon its surface. Not only were the large ice mountains a surprise, but the lack of craters, suggesting an active interior geologically, were also a huge discovery. These qualities considered, its spherical shape, and the moon orbiting it all suggest Pluto should be reinstated as a planet. However, its small size and odd orbital shape suggest it is just another object of the Kuiper Belt. Whether Pluto is called a planet, a dwarf planet, or just a floating ice rock in space, will most likely always be up for debate, but I worry not, for the sun will keep spinning regardless of its classification.