{"id":35062,"date":"2019-08-27T13:42:26","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T17:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmicconvergence.org\/?p=35062"},"modified":"2019-08-27T13:42:26","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T17:42:26","slug":"pluto-is-a-planet-regardless-of-what-anyone-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosmicconvergence.org\/?p=35062","title":{"rendered":"Pluto is a planet regardless of what anyone says"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Pluto is a planet\u2019: NASA official risks sparking science civil war with controversial declaration<\/h2>\n

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Artist\u2019s impression of the surface of Pluto. \u00a9 Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

RT.com<\/p>\n

One brave NASA administrator is refusing to bow to the prevailing scientific consensus, and is risking potential ostracization or, worse still, online ridicule, for proudly declaring that \u201cPluto is a planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saturday, August 24, 2019 marked 13 years to the day since Pluto was demoted from having the status of a planet to being assigned that of a dwarf planet, by the International Astronomical Union (our solar system\u2019s resident\u2019s association of scientific fuddy-duddies).<\/p>\n

But now, in what history may record as either a brave call to arms, beseeching the scientific community to band together against the tyranny of the IAU or, more likely, an off-the-cuff, likely tongue-in-cheek remark, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine had declared his unwavering belief that Pluto is indeed a planet.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m sticking by that, it\u2019s the way I learned it and I\u2019m committed to it,\u201d<\/em> Bridenstine boldly declared.<\/p>\n

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My favorite soundbyte of the day that probably won't make it to TV. It came from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. As a Pluto Supporter, I really appreciated this. #9wx<\/a> #PlutoLoversRejoice<\/a> @JimBridenstine<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/NdfQWW5PSZ<\/a><\/p>\n

— Cory Reppenhagen (@CReppWx) August 23, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n