Fighting for Pluto's Planet Title: Q & A With Planetary Scientist Alan Stern
Alan Stern has been fighting for Pluto's planethood ever since the icy body was demoted to "dwarf planet" in 2006. Full story
Doubt cast on existence of possibly habitable alien planet
Last month, astronomers announced the discovery of the first potentially habitable extrasolar planet. But this week at an International Astronomical Union meeting, doubts were raised about the existence of this exciting new planet said to be orbiting the star Gliese 581. Full story
Star adoption helps fund Kepler mission
A new program offers people a chance to "adopt" one of the stars in a catalogue of targets where scientists hope to find Earth-like extrasolar planets. Full story
Scientists gear up for planetary smackdown
Top astronomers and other planetary scientists will step into the ring this month to duke it out over a basic, yet controversial, question: What is a planet? Full story
Pluto’s identity crisis hits the classroom
Pluto was once a planet. Then, a dwarf planet. And as of last week, a plutoid. The fall from grace has teachers, parents and educational publishers struggling to keep up, while kids remain loyal to their favorite, the ninth planet. Underscore planet. Full story
Astronomers name dwarf planets after Pluto
The official group that names objects in the solar system is calling all distant dwarf planets "plutoids" after the planet that was demoted to dwarf status. Full story
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Related Photos
IAU opening ceremony
Brazilian dancers perform during opening ceremonies for the International Astronomical Union's General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. Pictures of Pluto and Eris — dwarf planets that caused so much controversy during the IAU's previous assembly in 2006 — are displayed on the screen above the s
