Pluto should become a planet again - at least that's what the new head of NASA thinks. But there is less science behind the cosmic advance than pure US patriotism.
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- NASA chief Jared Isaacman wants to have Pluto declared a planet again - for patriotic reasons, because it was discovered by an American in 1930.
- Republican senators are already supporting the idea with the slogan "Make Pluto Great Again".
- However, the International Astronomical Union has classified Pluto as a dwarf planet since 2006 and emphasizes that such decisions are only made by international consensus - not by decree.
- A recent Japanese study further weakens Pluto's special status: another object beyond Neptune also shows evidence of an atmosphere.
The new head of NASA, Jared Isaacman, has reignited an old controversy: he wants Pluto to be reclassified as a planet. Isaacman announced this at a hearing in the US Senate at the end of April. He is firmly convinced that Pluto should regain its lost planetary status. His agency is already working on documents to promote this position "in the scientific community".
The background, however, is less scientific than patriotic. Isaacman made his statement after Republican Senator Jerry Moran (72) asked him a "Kansas-specific question": "In 1930, Pluto was discovered by a citizen of Burdett, Kansas - population: 228. I have represented this locality since I have been a Senator. Please explain to me what NASA's interests in Pluto are."
In fact, Pluto is the only planet ever discovered by an American. Clyde Tombaugh found it in Arizona in 1930. Isaacman then declared that Tombaugh should "get back the recognition he once had and deserves".
A diversion from budget cuts?
The hearing was actually about something completely different: money. Trump's administration wants to slash NASA's budget by a quarter - now of all times, when the agency has once again made a name for itself worldwide with the successful Artemis II mission.
Isaacman tried to defend the slashing of NASA's finances and endear himself to Trump. In vain. Instead, he distracted attention with the Pluto debate.
And it is now taking on real patriotic traits: Some Republican MPs and personalities close to Trump are already campaigning for the slogan "Make Pluto Great Again". Senator Mike Lee from Utah even called on Trump to "Make Pluto planetary again".
Science holds against it
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) established the official definition in 2006: An object is only considered a planet if it orbits the sun, is sufficiently round and has cleared its orbit of other material.
It is precisely this last point that Pluto does not fulfill - it lies in the Kuiper Belt, a region full of ice and debris beyond Neptune. Since then, it has been officially classified as a "dwarf planet". The IAU makes it clear that such classifications can only be changed by international consensus and not by government decision or decree.
A look at current research also shows this: Politicians have hardly any good arguments on their side at the moment. NASA's "New Horizons" mission revealed in 2015 that Pluto is surprisingly active geologically - with icebergs, glaciers and even a thin atmosphere. New studies provide evidence of earlier volcanic activity. Some researchers are therefore calling for a geophysical definition that includes all round celestial bodies with their own gravity. This would make Pluto - and around a hundred other objects - "planets".
Japanese discovery weakens Pluto's special position
However, a recent Japanese discovery could just throw a spanner in the works for Pluto fans. According to a study in "Nature Astronomy", a team led by Ko Arimatsu has discovered evidence of an atmosphere on an even smaller body - the object (612533) 2002 XV93.
It would be only the second known object beyond Neptune with this feature after Pluto, as reported by AFP. This scratches the surface of Pluto's uniqueness - and supports those researchers who see it as part of a larger family of dwarf bodies.
A possible official NASA submission to the IAU could take place at the earliest at its General Assembly in Rome in 2027. Until then, Pluto remains the dwarf planet with the most fans.
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