My homework today is. Is Pluto really a planet?

I always thought it was, can you help me please?

Pluto was considered a planet until a year or so ago. But scientists revised their definition of planet, and decided that Pluto wasn't really a planet, but a dwarf planet. Check this article.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html

I learned in school that Pluto was the 9th of 9 planets in our system. However, Pluto has been downgraded. Here is a site that explains more about that downgrade in detail. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

Of course, I'd be happy to help! The status of Pluto as a planet has been a topic of debate among scientists for many years. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the criteria for what qualifies as a planet. According to the IAU's definition, a planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun, is spherical in shape, and has cleared its orbit of other debris.

Pluto meets the first two criteria, as it orbits the Sun and is spherical. However, it does not meet the third criterion of clearing its orbit. Pluto's orbit overlaps with that of Neptune, and there are other icy objects in its vicinity known as "trans-Neptunian objects."

As a result, the IAU classified Pluto as a "dwarf planet" instead of a full-fledged planet. Dwarf planets are similar to planets in many ways but have not cleared their orbits. Other dwarf planets in our solar system include Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Ceres.

To further verify this information and understand the scientific consensus, I recommend checking reputable sources such as scientific journals, books, or educational websites. These sources will provide you with a comprehensive explanation of the topic and the reasoning behind the classification of Pluto.