This Day in History February 18, 1930

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!

For more information:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/whyweexplore/Why_We_23.html

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pluto-discovered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

http://famousdaily.com/history/pluto-the-ninth-planet-of.html

This Day in History March 15, 1999

I remember learning about Pluto as I was growing up.  I even remember learning about the change in its orbit when Neptune would be the outermost planet from January 23, 1979.  And then there was the date that my daughter came home from preschool and told me that Pluto was not a planet.  Yes, I had already heard that. And then the scientists said that they may be wrong, and one day they may find out that Pluto really is a planet.  The joys and inconsistencies of science!

It was on this date in 1999 that Pluto went back to its rightful place in the galaxy. It is now again the outermost planet (albeit, a dwarf planet) in the galaxy.  And it will stay like that for the rest of my life.  I am not certain when that will change again, but it will be a long time.

For more information on Pluto, check out:
http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Pluto_%28planet%29
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Pluto.aspx
http://www.crystalinks.com/pluto.html
http://pages.intnet.mu/cueboy/discovery/astronomy/facts/pluto.htm
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/ast99/ast99112.htm