NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has reignited the debate over Pluto's planetary status, declaring his support for reinstating the dwarf planet as a full planet. Speaking to Kansas Senator Jerry Moran during a Capitol Hill hearing on Tuesday, Isaacman said he is 'very much in the camp of making Pluto a planet again' and revealed that scientific papers are underway to revisit the issue.
Isaacman, a billionaire SpaceX astronaut, had previously responded to a post on X calling for Pluto's reinstatement, writing 'We are looking into this.' His stance echoes that of former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who also supported the move. However, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006, a decision that remains controversial.
Experts remain divided. Mike Brown, the Caltech astronomer who helped demote Pluto and discovered evidence for a potential ninth planet, dismissed the push, saying 'actual scientists working in the field will continue to try to explain and classify objects in the solar system in the way that actually helps us understand the world in which we live.' The IAU maintains its definition is evidence-based, noting that Pluto became the leading object of a new family of solar system bodies.
Other scientists argue the classification is more nuanced. Bill McKinnon of Washington University in St. Louis said, 'Of course Pluto's a planet, but it is a dwarf planet, a subspecies of planet. The argument seems to swirl about those who wish to say whether dwarf planets are or are not planets. This is a waste of time.' He pointed to Pluto's round shape, atmosphere, active geology, and five moons as evidence of its planetary nature.
Pluto, discovered in 1930, is only about 1,400 miles wide but harbours a deep ocean, an 'active' heart, and icy mountains rising 11,000 feet. However, the IAU notes that many other dwarf planets exist, with over 100 potentially awaiting discovery, complicating any reclassification.
