CAN I SEE YOUR ID PLEASE?

Folks are meeting in Prague this week to determine whether or not to keep Pluto on the short list of planetary worthiness.

Nearly 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries are trying to come up with a once-and-for-all definition of what makes a planet a planet. And their decision could cost Pluto its job!

For most of us, the solar system has always had nine planets. That’s what they taught us back in grammar school – and that’s how many clay balls we included in our space mobile at the science fair. But then recently scientists discovered a heavenly body larger than Pluto a little farther out and they've been going around in circles ever since. Does the solar system have 10 planets, or do we revoke Pluto’s membership and trim the list to 8?

The problem with adding this extra planet (her name is Xena, by the way), is that there are actually plenty more where she came from. So by adding a 10th, we’d actually be letting in all sorts of cosmic riff-raff and planetary poseurs. To control the kind of company we keep within the confines of our solar system, some scientists are recommending we draw the line after Neptune - making a clean break based on size.

But why cut Pluto if it's already planet? Because Pluto’s status has always been questionable. It’s actually smaller than the moon! The problem with kicking Pluto out is that most people LIKE Pluto. And don’t forget Pluto’s neighbors. If Pluto gets the boot, Neptune and Uranus have threatened to leave, too. So some scientists say it’s better to keep Pluto on as an honorary planet, even if it lacks the heavenly luster we like in a solid, rocky mass of revolving ice.

I know what you’re thinking – good thing someone else is in charge of making the really tough decisions. If planets smaller than Pluto are let into the solar club, then we’re looking at including up to 44 more planets! It could get crowded up in here.