It was a burning question of mine for a while now:
I understand that dwarf planets like Pluto and Ceres aren’t considered planets of the solar system, but why are they called ‘dwarf PLANETS’ if they aren’t planets.
And no one really says, “the sun isn’t a star, it’s a Dwarf Star”. Nor is it declassified as one because of it.
So, why are dwarf planets not planets, but dwarf stars are stars?
I don’t like the idea of actually requiring a clearing out of the orbit. Is this not including Trojan areas, because there will always be stuff there for any planet.
The phrase “clearing the neignborhood” doesn’t mean the orbit is clear, it means the planet in question has gravitational dominance over anything in its orbit, so larger bodies are either captures as moons or removed via gravitational slingshot. This allows wanderers and other captured bodies.
The same astronomer (Margot) has remarked that gravitational dominance was clearer language, and it’s interesting that I’ve found in many reputable sources like NASA where they’ve dumbed down this third rule to just clearing the orbit, which is NOT correct as I mentioned above.
As for anyone who ever pulls the “I think Pluto is a planet”…it is a planet, as a subclass with restrictions.
True, I suppose I though clearing the orbit sounded more colloquial, whereas gravitational dominance may not be as clear to some?