![]() ![]() The two bodies are inextricably locked in an orbital resonance: Every time Neptune orbits the Sun three times, Pluto orbits twice, which means that even though Pluto may occasionally cross Neptune’s orbital path, they will never meet. ![]() Credit: NASA/JPLīy studying the particular orbital relationship between Pluto and Neptune, scientists figured out how Neptune got to its current position in the solar system. Although Pluto sometimes crosses Neptune’s orbital path, the resonance protects the two planets from colliding. Scientists calculated that in the early solar system, Neptune migrated out to its current position and nudged Pluto into a resonance orbit. Get the most fascinating science news stories of the week in your inbox every Friday. “I like to think of Pluto being the dwarf planet that showed us how the solar system’s architecture came to be,” said Renu Malhotra, a planetary scientist at University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. But perhaps more critically, these dwarf planets also trace a trail of scientific breadcrumbs that scientists can follow back in time to understand the origins of the solar system. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, a strong proponent of the dwarf planet label, received his own stream of hate mail from crushed 6-year-olds Twitter users still hurl insults at him Quick question from a HS Student: What gives you the right to demote #pluto? What discoveries have you made? #realtalkĪlthough some consider the reclassification a “demotion,” Pluto and its cousins Ceres, Makemake, Eris, Haumea, and others continue to dazzle scientists with their strange features and surprising geology. Then the jokes began.įacebook group pages popped up, with snarky titles of “When I was your age, Pluto was a planet!” Angry Pluto enthusiasts wrote hate mail to astronomer Mike “ Pluto Killer” Brown, one of the scientists who found Eris. Credit: Stephan Pastis/UniversalUClickĪs more objects got discovered, Pluto’s new label “dwarf planet” stuck. Pluto’s “demotion” has itself become a humorous meme in popular culture, as represented by this Pearls Before Swine comic strip. ![]()
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