When is Pluto Day?
Friday February 17thEvery year, Pluto Day on February 18th commemorates the discovery of the former planet. The dwarf planet was one of the nine planets in the solar system up until 2006.
Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh, an American astronomer, who discovered Pluto. He made the discovery at the Lowell Observatory on February 18th, 1930, 84 years after Neptune's discovery. Pluto was named for the Roman god of the Underworld by the Roman god of the Underworld.
Perpetual Lowell is also honored by the name. His initials are the first two letters of Pluto. Lowell, an American astronomer who believed there was another planet outside of Neptune, was another planet beyond Neptune. He led the quest that culminated in the discovery of Pluto. Lowell Observatory officially announced the discovery of a 9th planet on March 19, 1930.
Is it a planet or not a planet?
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reduced Pluto to a dwarf planet on August 24th, 2006. Pluto failed to satisfy certain conditions that designated it as a full-sized planet, according to the IAU. A full-sized planet must:
