2006年8月，国际天文学联合会（IAU）通过投票将冥王星从行星降级为矮行星，使太阳系行星数量从9颗减至8颗1。这一决定基于IAU制定的行星定义三要点：绕太阳运行、质量足以形成圆形、以及清晰了轨道区域1。冥王星因未能满足第三项条件而被除名1。
自此之后，以佛罗里达中央大学科学家菲利普·梅茨格为首的冥王星支持者开始了长期的学术反击1。梅茨格认为IAU的定义在科学中无用1，主张改用基于地球物理特性而非轨道特征的行星定义标准1。业余天文学家劳蕾尔·科恩菲尔德表示已参与冥王星恢复活动20年1。反对恢复冥王星地位的科学家则担忧，按地球物理学派的标准接纳冥王星将导致月球等卫星也被归为行星1。
这场争论在2015年得到新的科学支撑。美国宇航局新地平线号探测器飞掠冥王星时发现其具有地球物理特征，包括山脉、最近的地质活动证据和冰水山1。该发现为地球物理学派提供了观测依据，该学派主张基于行星物理属性而非轨道位置和周围环境来定义行星1。
最新进展出现在2024年4月，特朗普任命的NASA局长贾里德·艾萨克曼表示支持重新考虑冥王星的地位1。这一表态标志着这场跨越地球物理学派和天文学派的长期科学争论进入新阶段。
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet, reducing the solar system's planetary count from nine to eight 1. The decision has sparked an enduring scientific debate that shows no signs of resolution.
The IAU defined planets by three criteria: orbiting the sun, possessing sufficient mass to assume a round shape, and clearing their orbital neighborhood of other debris 1. Pluto failed to meet the third requirement 1. However, scientists challenging this classification argue the definition lacks scientific merit. Philip Metzger of the University of Central Florida contends that the IAU's planetary definition is scientifically useless 1. Proponents of an alternative approach advocate defining planets based on geophysical characteristics rather than orbital dynamics 1. Those opposing Pluto's reinstatement warn that accepting such criteria would lead to classifying Earth's moon and other celestial bodies as planets 1.
The controversy deepened following the 2015 New Horizons spacecraft flyby, which revealed that Pluto possesses geophysical features including mountains, evidence of recent geological activity, and water-ice mountains 1. Laurel Cornfeld, an amateur astronomer, has been involved in efforts to restore Pluto's planetary status for twenty years 1. The scientific dispute has evolved into a fundamental disagreement between the geophysical school, which emphasizes planetary physical properties, and the dynamical school, which focuses on orbital position and surrounding environment 1. In April 2024, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, appointed during the Trump administration, indicated openness to reconsidering Pluto's planetary status 1.
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