Pluto lost its celestial status in 2006 when it was demoted to a dwarf planet. Many people think Pluto was removed from the list of planets because of its size by planetary standards, but this is incorrect. Instead, the decision was made because the body needs to meet one of the International Astronomical Union's primary definitions of a planet. Pluto was considered the ninth planet when it was discovered in 1930. Still, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided in 2006 that a planet is a “celestial body that is in orbit around the Sun, has a nearly round shape, and. has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit.” Pluto meets two of those requirements: it’s round, and it orbits around the sun.

 

But because it shares its orbit with objects called “plutinos,” it didn’t qualify under the new definition. As a result, pluto was no longer considered a planet.  a study from December 2021 by a team of researchers claims the IAU’s description was based on astrology ( a type of folklore, not science) and that it’s harming both scientific research and the popular understanding of the solar system. They believe  Pluto should instead be classified as a planet under a definition used by scientists since the 16th century: that “planets” are any geologically active bodies in space. A “dwarf planet,” as defined by the IAU, is a celestial body in direct orbit of the Sun that is massive enough that its shape is controlled by gravitational forces rather than mechanical forces (and is thus ellipsoid in condition) but has not cleared its neighbouring region of other objects.

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Pluto should be a planet again because its size should not matter! There are celestial bodies out there bigger than Jupiter, but we still consider it a planet. Likewise, the same should go for Pluto; it should be taken out of the dwarf planet category and put into a planet category like Mercury, Venus, Earth…etc. According to Oxford's dictionary, a planet is an astronomical body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star. Although Pluto falls in the trajectory of our sun, it matches the description of a planet. Thus, we should bring back Pluto for the cause mentioned above.

 

After being demoted, Pluto has faced such discrimination, being called a “dwarf” or simply that it could’ve never been a planet in the first place when the definition of a planet is “a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.” Pluto moves in an elliptical orbit around the Sun with other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy, and I don’t understand why it’s not a planet, regardless of its size.

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This might be a biased opinion considering I am named after the planet, but I am tired of hearing the same comeback, “you’re not a planet anymore,” used against me. So bring back pluto. We love her regardless of her size.