Monday, February 18, 2013

This Day in History February 18, 1930

PLUTO PLANET

Although Pluto has been reclassified and no longer is called a planet, it was on this date in 1930, that Percival Lowell discovered the mysterious "Planet X."  It had been suspected by this scientist for a decades, but it was finally observed on this date in an observatory in Arizona.  

A survey went out requesting a name for this new planet, and it was and 11-year-old girl in England who proposed the name "Pluto."  Although there was no reason behind the name, it stuck if for no other reason than it had the initials "P-L" which referred back to the scientist who discovered it.

Once my daughter began going to school, I discovered that this was no longer a planet, and that seemed so strange.  When you have grown up with the idea of nine planets and now were down to eight, it just has never seemed right.  And I have heard that one day, it may be reclassified yet again as a planet, and this would be even more difficult to understand.  As far as I'm concerned, just call it a planet and have done with it!

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2 comments:

  1. I know what you mean. Since it seems like the end of time it has been a planet and now they just riped it away. So puff not a planet now more. It is so werid.

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  2. I was surprised when I found out they stopped calling Pluto a planet. When I learnt about the solar system like you I was taught of 9 planets. My children though are taught there is only 8 :(

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