Is Pluto a Planet? An Animated Explanation Sets the Record Straight or Maybe Just Gives You a Reason to Start Another Argument Online

Perhaps with the exception of Kirk vs. Picard or Dr. Who vs. Sherlock, nothing gets the rabble roused on the ntrnts quite like the debate over Pluto’s planethood. We are oddly sensitive about its 2006 demotion to “minor planet-type thing”. It’s as if we feel cheated in childhood, tricked into expending valuable energy mnemonically memorizing the sequence of the nine planets. That was energy that we could have spent on things like Nintendo. How dare you trick us!

Oddly, we are not at all upset that equal energy was wasted in memorizing the Gettysburg Address and fashioning the accompanying construction-paper stovepipe hat.

But so it goes. Pluto is not a planet anymore, and that pain is part of our shared cultural fabric now (it was even noted by the inimitable Randy Newman in this song).

You have two options: (1) Get over it and learn why it isn’t a planet or (2) Assume the confrontational fetal position and continue to fight for Pluto’s respect. 

This video is full of really awesome demonstrations of scale (Pluto isn’t even the biggest thing in its own neighborhood), terminology (why “planet” is a pretty annoying word), and the true state of planetary knowledge (and where it’s going), and it will help you do one of those things.

(via Brain Pickings, video by C.G.P. Gray)

Source: brainpickings.org

147 Notes/ Hide

  1. adamantlyadam reblogged this from drawingnothing
  2. chibifoxie reblogged this from drawingnothing
  3. nikotundra reblogged this from project-argus
  4. randomrazor reblogged this from drawingnothing
  5. thestarsbeckon reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  6. ohsarahrose reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    PLUTO IS NOT A PLANET.
  7. zhounder reblogged this from cactustreemotel and added:
    OK I concede.
  8. cactustreemotel reblogged this from divineirony and added:
    Husband - pay attention and get over it.
  9. divineirony reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    If you still think Pluto is a planet, I highly recommend this short video.
  10. theirwaywarddaughter reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  11. under-water-secrets reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  12. youngstarling reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  13. horusporus reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  14. the-naut reblogged this from abcstarstuff
  15. abcstarstuff reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  16. torilaurie reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  17. irrationalsense reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  18. wordsinscience reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    no really, it’s...a planet This probably...best explanation...
  19. themediocreaytac reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
  20. etotheipi reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    human knowledge,…I still choose option two. PLUTO! NOOOOOOOO

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