The debate over whether Pluto should be called a planet again has again surfaced nearly 20 years after its status was changed. The discussion has gained fresh attention after NASA Chief Jared Isaacman said he supports bringing Pluto back as a planet. Social media users have started debates online while using hashtags like #MakePlutoGreatAgain.

NASA Chief Supports Pluto’s Return

At a US Senate hearing, Isaacman said he is in favour of bringing Pluto back as a planet. He said, “I am very much in the camp of ‘make Pluto a planet again.’’ He added, “I would say, we are doing some papers right now on, I think, a position that we would love to escalate through the scientific community to revisit this discussion and ensure that Clyde Tombaugh gets the credit he received once and rightfully deserves to receive again.”

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What Happened In 2006?

Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto was considered the ninth planet. But in 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) created a clear definition of what a planet is. According to this definition, a planet must orbit the Sun, be round due to its gravity, and “clear its orbit” of other objects. While Pluto met the first two conditions, it could not meet the third one. As Pluto is in the Kuiper Belt, a region full of icy objects, it does not dominate its path. Because of this, it was reclassified as a “dwarf planet.”

What has kept the debate alive is the argument about the “clearing the orbit” rule. According to some scientists, it is not applied equally, since even Earth and Jupiter share space with other objects. Also, Pluto also has emotional importance in the United States, as it was discovered by an American scientist. Earlier, US President Donald Trump also supported bringing Pluto back as a planet.

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Can NASA Change Its Status?

While NASA supports revisiting the issue, it cannot change Pluto’s status. That power lies only with the IAU. This means that any change would need a global scientific agreement. The IAU is a global non-governmental organisation headquartered in Paris and serves as the international authority for naming celestial bodies and promoting astronomical research.

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