Pluto Spurs Far-Out Debate; Kids have been taught for more than 70 years that nine planets revolve around our sun, and that the farthest and smallest planet is Pluto. From: The Washington Post | Date: January 7, 2003 | Copyright 2003 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post.Copyright information

But some astronomers are questioning whether Pluto should be labeled a planet after all. New York's largest planetarium already has demoted it. And the recent discovery of another, larger sphere in Pluto's vicinity has some researchers scratching their heads about the mysterious planet. Valerie Strauss examines the controversy.

What is a planet anyway?

In early times, "planet" simply meant anything in the sky that moved in a predictable way, said Mike Brown, an astronomer at the ...

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