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WHAT IS A PLANET?
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FAROUTFACTS
Oursolarsystemseightplanetscomeintwoflavors:smaller
rockyplanetswithsolidground(Mercury,Venus,Earthand
Mars)andlargergasgiants(Jupiter,Saturn,Uranusand
Neptune).
Youcanspotsixofthesolarsystemsplanetswiththenaked
eyefromEarthandalleightifyouhavebinocularsora
telescope.
Astronomershavediscoveredhundredsofworldsbeyondour
solarsystemandarespottingmoreeveryday.Scientists
believesomeoftheseexoplanetsmaysupportalienlife.Who
knows.Maybeanalienkidelsewhereinthegalaxyis
wonderingifyouexist.
Butwhatexactlyisaplanet?Itseemslikeaneasyquestion.
Afterall,yourestandingononerightnow!Butthescientific
definitionwasfairlylooseuntilrecently.Thediscoveryofother
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WhatisaPlanet?
ThousandsofyearsbeforetheinventionoftheInternetor
SuperMarioKart,peopleentertainedthemselvesbypeering
intothenightskyandconnectingthestarstocreatepictures
calledconstellationsofanimals,objects,andlegendary
heroes.Buttheseancientstargazersnoticedthatsomestars
didntcooperatewiththeconstellations.Theseoddballballsof
lightfollowedtheirownpathsacrossthenightsky,sothe
ancientGreekscalledthemplanetes,meaningwanderers.By
1930,nineplanetshadbeendiscovered:Mercury,Venus,
Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune,andPluto.
solarsystemwanderersrivalingPlutoinsizesuddenlyhad
scientistsaskingwhatwasntaplanet.Theyputtheirheads
togetherin2006andcameupwiththreeconditionsfor
planethood:Aplanetmustorbitthesun,belargeenoughso
thatitsowngravitymoldsitintoasphericalshape,anditmust
haveanorbitfreeofothersmallobjects.Unfortunatelyfor
Pluto,ouronetimeninthplanetfailedtomeetthethird
condition.Itwasdowngradedtoadwarfplanet,a
classificationofsolarsystemobjectsyoucanreadabouthere.
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