Is Pluto a planet after all? New research says yes, but the debate rages on

Long ago, in the pre-iPhone dark ages of 2006, Pluto was rebranded from its status as a planet and downgraded to dwarf planet classification, changing high school physics class forever.

Forever may be briefer than imagined, however. New research from the scientific journal Icarus makes the case for Pluto to be reinstated as a planet, and it should not have been considered otherwise.

Not everyone agrees with the study, of course. One of the most public figures against it? Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who briefly touched Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show," saying, "Pluto had it coming."

Why all the debate? The argument is rooted in exactly how planets are defined. When the International Astronomical Union is in the first place, it is necessary to have a view of the planet., but also "clear the neighborhood" around its orbit.

That means it should be able to knock out the space and get rid of it. puny Pluto, which would make up just 18 percent of the Earth's diameter, does not quite pack that gusto.

The new research, "The Reclassification of Asteroids from Planets to Non-Planets," argues that the "clear the neighborhood" criteria are in the process of becoming more effective.

Tyson – with Colbert in agreement – was not having it, however.

Pluto was still a planet, also had a lot to say on the matter.

For the sake of the planet, there are still just eight planets in the solar system.

Follow Marielle & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @mariellemondon | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Marielle's RSS Feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.