Under the current definition, a planet is a celestial body that orbits the sun, is massive enough that gravity has forced it into a spherical shape, and has cleared away other objects near its ...

For a celestial body to qualify as a planet per the current IAU definition, it must orbit the sun, should have cleared the area around its orbit, and must have enough mass that its gravity would ...

Currently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defines a planet as a celestial body with three characteristics: It orbits the sun, it's big enough for gravity to mold it into a roundish ...

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that researchers began developing the qualifications for a celestial body to be considered a planet. In 2006, the IAU voted that the definition of a planet relied ...

The proposed definition would reinstate Pluto as a planet, and grant planetary status to the Earth’s moon and more than 100 other celestial bodies in our solar system.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union updated its definition for a planet, ruling that for a celestial body to officially make the cut, it must orbit around the sun, contain enough mass to ...

With this third celestial body in the mix, all bets are off. ... By definition, that's a truly unpredictable outcome. In popular culture, it's best known as the butterfly effect.

But why isn't Pluto considered a planet anymore? It starts with the definition of a planet — or lack thereof. Before 2006, there weren't strict criteria for a planet.

Here’s a simple question: What’s a moon? As with so many questions in science, it may seem straightforward but truly isn’t. “Why, a moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet,” you ...

In the new definition, a planet is a celestial body that: orbits one or more stars, brown dwarfs or stellar remnants and; is more massive than 10 23 kg and; ...

Planetary scientists are proposing a new definition of a planet to replace one that many researchers view as sun-centric and outdated. The current definition — established in 2006 by the International ...