The Pluto Demoted Day is always celebrated on the 24th of August each year. It commemorates the day when Pluto was declared a dwarf planet and not a full sized planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) back in 2006.
What is Pluto Demoted Day?
The Pluto Demoted Day is a celebration and commemoration of the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet. This day is considered to be important, especially in the scientific community. People who celebrate this day take advantage of the opportunity to study our solar system, and the outer space in general. But more often than not, they celebrate this day by studying the history of Pluto. People also celebrate by having children learn about the nature and composition of planets.
Pluto Demoted Day Facts
Here are some interesting facts about the Pluto Demoted Day that are worth sharing to other people:
- Pluto was first discovered at the Lowell Observatory in 1930. Astronomers received suggestions as to what name it should be given from different parts of the world. But the term Pluto was put forward by Venetia Burney, an 11-year old girl from Oxford. She thought that Pluto is a fitting name to the distant and shadowy planet because it is similar to the Greek God of the Underworld.
- When Pluto was demoted from full-sized planet to a dwarf planet, it is now called asteroid 134340.
- Pluto is the second most massive dwarf planet in the solar system right after Eris.
- There are five moons of Pluto. The largest one is Charon.
- A dwarf planet is one which contains an atmosphere composed of only carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen, which would be impossible for humans to survive.
When is Pluto Demoted Day?
This holiday is always celebrated on August 24 every year. This means that the Pluto Demoted Day will be celebrated on the 24th of August.
What is the History of Pluto Demoted Day?
We know a lot about how Pluto was first discovered as a planet in 1930 but then got its status demoted as a dwarf planet in 2006. Unfortunately though, we cannot trace how the celebration of the Pluto Demoted Day started. We do not know for sure how it started and who started it. But for sure, the day was started so as to commemorate Pluto as a planet and its demotion.
Why Celebrate Pluto Demoted Day?
The following are the main reasons why you should celebrate the Pluto Demoted Day:
To Get Familiar with Planets
This day is the perfect opportunity for you to get familiar with planets. We only know those that are within the solar system. We can discover more. In addition, we can get more familiar with the status of planets – which ones are considered as full sized planets and which ones should be considered as dwarf planets.
To Know the History of Demotion
Another reason why you should celebrate this holiday is that this is the ideal opportunity for you to know the full story about the demotion of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet.
To Know More About the Outer Space in General
You should also celebrate this day because you can know more about the outer space in general. There is a lot to know more about it not only the planets but also the galaxy, the universe, and other cosmic bodies such as asteroids and meteors.
How to Celebrate Pluto Demoted Day?
The following are the best things to do to make your celebration of the Pluto Demoted day as best as it can be:
Read More About Planets
One good thing to do to celebrate this day is to read more about planets. You can find some good science books where you can learn these things. You may also look for some friendly lessons online. To make it all better, you can watch some teaching videos on YouTube so that you can really see what planets are and what they are composed of.
Visit a Planetarium
If you want a more enjoyable and fascinating experience to learn more about planets, then you can just go visit a planetarium. For sure, you will be fascinated with how planetariums look and the contents inside. You can see gigantic and realistic models of the planets and the solar system. You can also interact with various scientific experiments that will blow your mind. It is all about the learning experience and the fun.
Talk About Other Astronomical Objects
You can also celebrate this day by learning more about other astronomical objects apart from planets. You can, for instance, learn more about asteroids, comets, and meteors. There are a lot of heavenly bodies you might not know about. This is the best time for you to learn about them all.
Celebrate on Social Media
You can also take your celebration of this day on social media. You can, for instance, use the hashtag #PlutoDemotedDay to let your friends and followers know that you are also participating in the celebration of this amazing day. Let them know that you are learning more about Pluto and other planets. Let them see your pictures showcasing how fun it was inside a planetarium.
About Pluto Demoted Day
The Pluto was the 9th planet in the solar system and it maintained that title for 76 years until the day. It was first discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The name of this dwarf planet originated from Hades, an ancient Greek Ruler of the underworld. Hades’ roman name is Pluto. The dwarf planet was named by Venetia Burney when she was only 11 years old.
Pluto’s orbit
Pluto is very far from the Earth at a distance of about 6 billion kilometers. Because of this, not much is known about the dwarf planet. In terms of size, Pluto has a diameter of about 2250 kilometers, which is about 2/3 the sized of the moon of the Earth.
The orbit of Pluto is highly eccentric because its orbit around the sun is not a perfect circle. What this means is that its distance from the sun varies over time. It takes about 250 years for Pluto to have a complete orbit around the sun. It also takes 6.5 days for Pluto to complete its rotation around its axis.
Pluto’s Demotion to Dwarf Planet
According to the IAU, a planet is a celestial body that orbits around the sun and has a nearly round shape with clear neighborhood around its orbit. However, since Pluto did not meet the criteria of being a full-sized planet, it was reclassified by the IAU as a dwarf planet.