Our solar system will be including at least 3 more planets in it with the adoption of the new definition of the word ‘Planet’. This will happen next week with the voting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on a draft definition of — ‘what distinguishes a planet from lesser space rocks’.
The new members would include the former asteroid Ceres, and even Charon - which until now has been classed as Pluto’s moon! The scheme would retain Pluto, whose planet-hood has been previously questioned.
Committee member Richard Binzel, an astronomer at MIT, US said,
We came to the conclusion that we should base our definition as strongly on the science as possible. The word ‘planet’ was invented millennia ago, and modern science tells us so much more.
