Answered

Why was Pluto disqualified as being a true planet?

A. It does not orbit the Sun.

B. It has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects.

C. It does not have a spherical shape.

D. It does not have any moons.



Answer :

GinnyAnswer

Final answer:

Pluto was disqualified as a true planet in 2006 by the IAU due to not meeting the orbital clearing criterion for planetary classification.


Explanation:

Why was Pluto disqualified as being a true planet?

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the criteria for planetary classification. According to the new definition, a celestial body must meet three criteria to be considered a planet:

  1. It must orbit a star (in our case, the Sun).
  2. It must be massive enough to assume hydrostatic equilibrium, essentially taking a round shape due to its gravity.
  3. It must have cleared its orbital path of any other similar-sized objects.

Pluto met the first two criteria but failed to meet the third one, as its orbit overlaps with the Kuiper Belt, making it a dwarf planet instead of a full-fledged planet.


Learn more about Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet here:

https://brainly.com/question/38156133


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