What Constitutes a Planet?
The Debate Over Pluto
Presented by Travis Rector
After Pluto was discovered 76 years ago it was classified as a planet. But in 2006 members of the International Astronomical Union voted to change that. Why did they do it? Only one-fifth the size of our Moon and over 3 billion miles away, Pluto remains an enigma. This lecture will explore what is known about Pluto, and how it is different than the planets. Travis Rector, a voting member of the I.A.U., will describe why the I.A.U. voted overwhelmingly in favor of changing Pluto's status.
Related Links: Pluto and New Horizons spacecraft image courtesy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The image is an artist's concept as it approaches Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, in July 2015. Pluto and Charon image by Xanthine. The image is a digital artist's impression of Pluto and Charon, showing our sun in the top left corner. The image was created to show colors as close as possible to those observed, including Pluto's dark equatorial feature. |
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What Constitutes a Planet? 
Dr. Travis Rector is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy with the University of Alaska Anchorage. He earned his doctorate degree in astrophysics from the University of Colorado in 1998, after which he spent three years as a scientist at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. In 2001 he received a fellowship to work at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico. He moved to Alaska in the fall of 2003.