What is a Planet?

Overview: Students learn about the characteristics of planets, comets, asteroids, and
trans-Neptunian objects through a classification activity. Students can then apply what
they have learned by participating in a formal debate about a solar system object
discovered by the New Horizons spacecraft and by defining the term ‘planet.’

Target Grade Level: 9-12

Estimated Duration: 3 class periods or about 135 minutes

Learning Goals: Students will be able to…

• Compare and contrast the characteristics of planets, comets, asteroids, and trans-
Neptunian objects.
• Create a definition for the term planet.
• Formulate an argument for or against the planet status of a hypothetical solar
system object discovered via telescope and then observed in a fly-by of the New
Horizons spacecraft.

Standards Addressed:
Benchmarks (AAAS, 1993)
The Nature of Science, 1A: The Scientific World View
National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996)
History and Nature of Science, Standard G: Nature of science

Table of Contents:
Background Page 1
Materials and Procedure 4
Characteristic Cards 8
Blank Characteristic Card 14
Classifying Solar System Objects 15
Pandora’s Characteristics 17
IAU Member Analysis sheet 19
Debate Role and Stance: Opening/Closing 21
Debate Role and Stance: Topic Presenter 23
Debate Role and Stance: Rebuttal Presenter 25
Debate Rubric 27
Debate Format sheet 28
“Gravity Rules” article by Alan Stern 29
Extensions, Adaptations, and References 35
Standards Addressed, detailed 36
Background:
Why classify? Classification arises from the human desire to catalog objects,
compare and contrast them, look for patterns among them, and communicate about them.
We create classification schemes based on characteristics that are observable or
measurable, and we organize the objects being classified according to this scheme.
Classification can help clarify relationships between objects or perhaps reveal something
about their histories or origins. Sometimes our understanding of objects and their
relationships changes, and our classification schemes must be modified to incorporate
new information.
For a moment, let’s pretend we live in a simple solar system. Objects in this
simple solar system (a classification in itself!) can be classified as planets, satellites,
comets, asteroids, and trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Note that, in this system, Kuiper
Belt Objects (KBOs) are a subset of TNOs, and are also referred to as Edgeworth-Kuiper
Belt Objects.
In our simple solar system, the following definitions might apply (all but TNO
taken from The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition, 2000):

• Planet: A non-luminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or

comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the sun, around which
it revolves. (Image: Jupiter, courtesy of NASA)

• Satellite: A celestial body that orbits a planet; a moon. (Image:

Saturn’s moon Titan, courtesy of NASA)

• Comet: A celestial body, observed only in that part of its orbit that is
relatively close to the sun, having a head consisting of a solid nucleus
surrounded by a nebulous coma up to 2.4 million kilometers (1.5
million miles) in diameter and an elongated curved vapor tail arising
from the coma when sufficiently close to the sun. (Image: Comet
Halley, courtesy of NASA)

• Asteroid: Any of numerous small celestial bodies that revolve

around the sun, with orbits lying chiefly between Mars and Jupiter
and characteristic diameters between a few and several hundred
kilometers. Also called minor planet, planetoid. (Image: Asteroid
Kleopatra, courtesy of NASA)

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 • Trans-Neptunian Objects: A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any
object in the solar system with all or most of its orbit beyond that of
Neptune. The Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud are names for some
subdivisions of that volume of space. (Image: The 10th Planet?
Courtesy of NASA/JPL)

In our real solar system, such neatly defined classes don’t always apply. For
example, some asteroids could just be the nuclei of comets that have lost all their volatile
materials. Some satellites are so large compared with the planet they orbit that perhaps
they would be better classified as binary planets. And a very recently discovered trans-
Neptunian object is known to be larger than Pluto.
Some objects invariably defy neat and tidy classification. If the classification
scheme is modified to include one such “defiant” object, other objects will likely defy the
new scheme, until there are either too many classes or too many exceptions. As you
probably already know, Pluto is one object that challenges a simple classification scheme
for the planets!
But what is a planet? The term planet—which is used so frequently—has been
actively debated in the scientific community for generations, and will likely continue to
be debated for many years to come.

The American Heritage Dictionary actually lists two definitions:

Planet (noun):

1. A nonluminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet, illuminated by

light from a star, such as the sun, around which it revolves. In the solar system
there are nine known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
2. One of the seven celestial bodies, Mercury, Venus, the moon, the sun, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn, visible to the naked eye and thought by ancient
astronomers to revolve in the heavens about a fixed Earth and among fixed
stars.

Certainly the relative measure “larger than”, in the first definition, lacks the quantitative
means for comparison that is most useful in science. And of course the definitions for
“asteroid” and “comet” are themselves potentially unclear. The second definition for
planet, in the paragraph above, is from the perspective of ancient astronomers, and refers
to naked eye visibility. This brings up an interesting point: definitions change as our
measuring devices, technology, and/or perspectives change. After all, the Earth was once
thought to be the center of the universe!
During the annual meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in the
summer of 2006, members in attendance approved a newer definition for planet and other
bodies. Here is a summary of the IAU resolution:
The IAU therefore resolves that planets and other bodies in our solar system, except
satellites, be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:

(1) A “planet” is a celestial body that

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 (a) is in orbit around the Sun,
(b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so
that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
(c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A “dwarf planet” is a celestial body that
(a) is in orbit around the Sun,
(b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so
that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape,
(c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and
(d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects, except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to
collectively as “Small Solar-System Bodies”.

With the potential discovery of hundreds or thousands of objects similar to Pluto

in the region known as the Kuiper Belt, our view of the solar system has changed. That
change in perspective may necessitate a change in how we define the term ‘planet.’
Ultimately, an important point to keep in mind (and in the minds of your students) is that
calling Pluto a planet, a dwarf planet, a Kuiper Belt object, or the King of the Ice Dwarfs
doesn’t change Pluto at all! The physical characteristics of Pluto, the other planets, and
bodies that are yet to be discovered will remain the same regardless of how they are
classified.
With that said, here are some of the arguments you may hear in the debate for and
against the planet status of the hypothetical solar system object discovered via telescope
and observed in a fly-by of the New Horizons spacecraft, temporarily called Pandora:

PROs (Pandora should be considered a planet)

• It is large enough that it is spherical due to its own gravity, unlike most asteroids.
• It orbits the Sun.
• It has a moon, Hope.
• It is not large enough to sustain fusion reactions and is therefore not a star.
• If its physical characteristics are similar to those of the other known planets in our
Solar System then it, too, should be considered a planet, as should all other
similar objects.

CONs (Pandora should not be considered a planet)

• It is really very small compared to most of the other planets.
• Its moon is large relative to its size.
• Its composition (rocky/ice) is out of sequence. The terrestrial planets are close to
the Sun, and it isn’t a gas giant like its planetary neighbors toward the Sun:
Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter.
• Its orbit is highly inclined with respect to the ecliptic plane.
• It crosses another planet’s orbit (Pluto’s).
• It is among many other bodies in a ‘belt’ instead of being ‘the largest body
around’ like the other planets.
• If Pandora is a planet, and we find more bodies of similar size as we are predicted
to do, then we will have too many planets to memorize all of their names!

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Materials:
• Access to reference materials for researching pro and con arguments for the
debate: Is Pandora a Planet? (several online references are provided below)
Day 1
• Copies of Characteristic Cards (1 set per group)
• Copies of Blank Characteristic Card, if desired
• Copies of Classifying Solar System Objects (1 per group)
• Blank overhead projector pages on which to record classification schemes (1-2
pages per group) (or blank paper to record results, and then allow them to transfer
information onto the chalk board/dry erase board)
• Overhead projector pens (1 for each group)
Day 2
• Copies of Pandora’s Characteristics (classroom set)
• Copies of International Astronomical Union Member Analysis sheet (1 per
member of panel)
• Copies of Debate Role and Stance sheets (number of copies follows list item)
o Role: Opening/Closing statement presenter (4)
o Role: Topic Presenter (12)
o Role: Rebuttal Presenter (8)
Day 3
• Copies of Debate Rubric (for teacher’s use, also may want to distribute to class or
post so students understand the grading criteria) (at least 2 copies for teacher)
• Copy of the Debate Format sheet (for teacher’s use)
• Copy of the ‘Gravity Rules’ article by Alan Stern (classroom set)

Procedure:

Generally speaking…
What the teacher will do: The teacher will begin by leading a discussion about
classification. He or she will assign students to “Solar System Objects groups” (4-6 such
groups), and provide each group with a set of Characteristic Cards, a Classifying Solar
System Objects group data sheet, and blank overhead projector pages. The teacher can
walk from group to group and help students classify solar system objects by different
characteristics and then facilitate a discussion of results. In preparation for the debate,
the teacher will assign students to read “Gravity Rules” by Alan Stern and provide access
to other reference materials for student research on the current definitions for the word
planet. Finally, the teacher will be the moderator in the formal debate of “Is Pandora a
Planet?”

What the students will do: Students will use the Characteristic Cards to
complete the Classifying Solar System Objects sheet as a group. This exercise asks them
to classify the solar system objects by various characteristics and to look for patterns,
recording their results on overhead projector pages to present to the class. Students will
then be assigned to one of three groups: 1. International Astronomical Union (IAU)

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panel; 2. Yes, Pandora is a Planet; or 3. No, Pandora is not a Planet. Students must
research their assigned perspective using the Pandora’s Characteristics sheet, the current
definitions of the word planet, and their knowledge of classification. They will then
participate in a formal debate, either as a presenter (in Group 2 or 3) or as an IAU panel
member. After both sides of the argument have been presented, the IAU panel (Group 1)
will discuss the presentations and make a judgment as to the status of Pandora’s
planethood. Finally, students will be asked to write a definition for the word planet.

Advance Preparation
1. Make copies as indicated in the Materials section, above.
2. Cut out Characteristic Cards (1 set per group, 4 – 6 groups). Laminate if desired.
Cut out one or more Blank Characteristic Cards per group if desired.
3. Review the Debate Format sheet provided.

In-class Procedure

Day 1
1. Begin with a discussion of classification. First introduce the concept of
classification using a simple example, such as clothing in students’ closets. Using
the board or an overhead, solicit possible broad categories from the class (pants,
shirts, sweaters, shoes). Ask how these objects could be further classified (color;
materials such as cotton, wool, or blend, etc.). Draw each as its own scheme on
the board/overhead as follows:

clothes

pants shirts shoes sweaters

blue khaki red green white blue brown black yellow orange purple

clothes

pants shirts shoes sweaters

cotton wool cotton blend leather synthetic wool cotton

As another example, you may wish to discuss biology. Simple examples include
plants, which can be further classified into deciduous trees, coniferous trees,
perennials, annuals, etc. Likewise, animals can be classified as invertebrates (e.g.
arachnids, insects, mollusks, etc.) or vertebrates (e.g. fish, mammals, birds,
primates, etc.). Inform the class that they will be classifying solar system objects.
Solar system objects are classified by physical characteristics.

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 2. Divide the class into about 4 – 6 groups (4 or 5 students per group). Distribute a
set of Characteristic Cards, a Classifying Solar System Objects group data
sheet, and blank overhead projector pages with pens to each group. Encourage
them to use meaningful classification schemes based on the physical
characteristics of the solar system objects (NOT ‘these objects all have 5 letters
in their name, these have 6, and these have more…’). Provide each group with a
Blank Characteristic Card if you would like them to research and classify an
object for which data is not provided.

3. Explain to students that they will now classify the different solar system objects
according to characteristics of their choosing. For example, first they might
separate cards into two groups: objects with a density of less than 2 g/cm3 and
objects with a density of 2 or greater g/cm3. They will record their observations
in the Classifying Solar System Objects group data sheet. Ask students near the
end of the period to stop classifying and look at their data. Do they see any
patterns? Are some objects often grouped together? Are some objects often
misfits? Have them record at least one scheme on the overhead page and present
it to the class. Ask the group to justify their decisions and further encourage
discussions.

Day 2
4. Introduce students to the debate format and topic: A hypothetical solar system
object has been discovered via telescope and observed in a fly-by of the New
Horizons spacecraft. This object has temporarily been named Pandora. The
students are to debate whether Pandora should be considered a planet, or not,
based on its physical characteristics presented in the Pandora’s Characteristics
sheet. As part of their preparation, they should research the current definitions for
the word planet in addition to reading the assigned article, “Gravity Rules” by
Alan Stern.

5. Explain that the class will be broken into three main groups for the debate:
• Yes, Pandora is a planet—“Affirmative” (10 - 12 students)
• No, Pandora is not a planet—“Negative” (10 - 12 students)
• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) panel (the remaining
students)

The ‘Yes, Pandora…’ and ‘No, Pandora…’ groups should be further

subdivided into 6 groups of 2 students as follows:
1. Opening and Closing Statement Presenters
2. Topic Presenters, A
3. Topic Presenters, B
4. Topic Presenters, C (optional: if there are 12 students in the ‘Yes…’
and ‘No,…’ groups)
5. Rebuttal Presenters, A
6. Rebuttal Presenters, B

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 *NOTE: this can be confusing, so you may want to assign groups and
roles before class and record them on an overhead sheet or the board
before class to save in-class time.

6. Provide each student with an appropriate Debate Role and Stance sheet and a
copy of Pandora’s Characteristics sheet. For example, all of the Topic
Presenters are to receive a copy of the ‘Role: Topic Presenter’ sheet. Likewise,
all of the Rebuttal Presenters are to receive a copy of the ‘Role: Rebuttal
Presenter’ sheet. Provide each IAU panel member with a copy of the IAU
Member Analysis sheet. You may also wish to show students the Debate
Rubric that will be used for grading their performances.

7. Provide access to resources so that groups can research their stance. The
International Astronomical Union members should become educated on the broad
ideas surrounding the question of “Is Pandora a Planet”? They should resist
forming an opinion, but learn about the many issues associated with this question.
Further details regarding specific roles and how they are to operate are provided
in the respective group data sheets. Allow enough time for groups to begin
researching for their role and stance. Further research should be assigned as
homework.

8. During about the last 10 minutes of class, allow the groups with similar roles to
join together and plan their debate strategy. For example…
• ‘Yes,…’ Topic Presenter groups A, B, and C should join together and decide
which topic each group will present, and ‘No, …’ Topic Presenter groups A,
B, and C should join together. The ‘topics’ are the main arguments for their
assigned stance, and each side must come up with three main arguments,
hence the A, B, and C. The topic presenters may also wish to send a liaison to
the Rebuttal Presenters and the Opening/Closing Statement Presenters so that
they all agree upon the team’s approach.
• Similarly, the Rebuttal Presenters are to answer or rebut arguments from the
other stance. Rebuttal Presenter groups A and B can meet to discuss some
possible responses to the opponents’ main arguments.
• The Opening and Closing Statement Presenters (a group of 2) will decide who
will give the opening and closing statement. They may wish also to
incorporate the three main arguments that will be presented by their team into
their opening and closing statements.
• The IAU panel members should discuss the broader issues surrounding
Pandora’s status as a planet.

Day 3
9. In the first 10 minutes of class allow the two teams (‘Yes, …’ and ‘No, …’) to
organize their approach. Remind them that they will be graded on their ability to
work as a team.

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10. Let the debate begin! Review the rules and process for the students, as provided
in the Debate Format sheet. Keep time or assign a time-keeper throughout the
debate. Use the Debate Rubric to assess students as they present. Remind IAU
members to take notes on their Analysis sheet during the debate!

11. After the debate is complete, allow the IAU to convene and discuss the arguments
and rebuttals presented. They should decide by a vote whether Pandora should be
considered a planet and present their conclusion to the class. (Vote is decided by
‘majority rules’).

12. As homework, assign students to create their own definition for the term planet.
They should provide a written justification for their definition. Also, they should
list all (or as many as possible) of the Solar System Objects (used in the
classification activity) that would be considered a planet according to their
definition.

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 Mercury Venus Earth Mars
Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius:
2440 6052 6371 3390
(km): (km): (km): (km):

Density Density Density Density

5.4 5.2 5.5 3.9
(g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3):

Mass (kg): 3.3 x 1023 Mass (kg): 48.7 x 1023 Mass (kg): 59.7 x 1023 Mass (kg): 6.4 x 1023

Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere?

If yes, He, Na, O2 If yes, CO2, N2 If yes, N2, O2 If yes, CO2, N2, Ar
composition: composition: composition: composition:

Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun

Average Average Average Average

distance from distance from distance from distance from
57 million 108 million 149 million 227 million
body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits
(km): (km): (km): (km):
Period of Period of orbit Period of orbit Period of orbit
0.24 0.62 1 1.88
orbit (yrs): (yrs): (yrs): (yrs):

Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin

1407.5 -5823.4 23.9 24.6
(hrs): (hrs): (hrs): (hrs):
Known Known Known Known
2; Phobos,
satellites none satellites none satellites 1; The Moon satellites
Deimos
(moons): (moons): (moons): (moons):

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 Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius:
69,911 58,232 25,362 24,624
(km): (km): (km): (km):

Density Density Density Density

1.3 0.7 1.3 1.6
(g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3):

Mass (kg): 18990 x 1023 Mass (kg): 5684 x 1023 Mass (kg): 868 x 1023 Mass (kg): 1024 x 1023

Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere?

If yes, H2, He If yes, H2, He If yes, H2, He, CH4 If yes, H2, He, CH4
composition: composition: composition: composition:

Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun

Average Average Average Average

distance from distance from distance from distance from
778 million 1,429 million 2,871 million 4,504 million
body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits
(km): (km): (km): (km):
Period of Period of orbit Period of orbit Period of orbit
11.9 29.5 84.02 164.8
orbit (yrs): (yrs): (yrs): (yrs):

Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin

9.9 10.7 17.2 16.1
(hrs): (hrs): (hrs): (hrs):
Known Known Known Known
satellites 63! satellites 46 satellites 27 satellites 13
(moons): (moons): (moons): (moons):

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 Pluto Eris Ceres Tempel 1
Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius:
1150 ~1200 467 Nucleus: 3 km
(km): (km): (km): (km):

Density Density Density Density

About 2 2.3 ~2.1 ?
(g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3):

Mass (kg): 0.13 x 1023 Mass (kg): 0.166 x 1023 Mass (kg): .008 x 1023 Mass (kg): ?

Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Dust and gas

If yes, N2, CH4, CO If yes, ? If yes, Maybe! If yes, around
composition: composition: composition: composition: nucleus

Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun

Average Average Average Average 230 million

distance from distance from distance from distance from *(will change!)
5,914 million 8,826 million 413 million
body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits (very elliptical
(km): (km): (km): (km): orbit)
Period of Period of orbit Period of orbit Period of orbit 5.5 *(will
247.9 560 4.6
orbit (yrs): (yrs): (yrs): (yrs): change!)

Period of spin 153.3 (or Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin 1.7 *(will
? 9.1
(hrs): 6.39 days!) (hrs): (hrs): (hrs): change!)
Known Known Known
3;Charon, *will change as it passes by
satellites satellites 1; Dysnomia satellites none
Nix, Hydra Jupiter due to Jupiter’s gravity
(moons): (moons): (moons):

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 The Moon Europa Enceladus Charon
Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius: Mean Radius:
1738 1569 249 593
(km): (km): (km): (km):

Density Density Density Density

3.3 3.0 1.2 1.2
(g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3):

Mass (kg): 0.74 x 1023 Mass (kg): 0.48 x 1023 Mass (kg): 0.00073 x 1023 Mass (kg): 0.016 x 1023

Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Atmosphere?

Basically Tenuous: O2, Localized
If yes, If yes, If yes, If yes, None?
none H2 water vapor
composition: composition: composition: composition:

Orbits… Earth Orbits… Jupiter Orbits… Saturn Orbits… Pluto

Average Average Average Average

distance from distance from distance from distance from
384,000 671,000 238,000 19,600
body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits body it orbits
(km): (km): (km): (km):
Period of Period of orbit Period of orbit Period of orbit
27.3 3.6 1.37 6.39
orbit (days): (days): (days): (days):

Period of spin 655 (or 27.3 Period of spin 86.4 (or 3.6 Period of spin 32.9 (1.37 Period of spin 153.3 (or 6.39
(hrs): days!) (hrs): days) (hrs): days!) (hrs): days!)
Known Known Known Known
satellites It is a moon satellites It is a moon satellites It is a moon satellites It is a moon
(moons): (moons): (moons): (moons):

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 Eros Borrelly Sedna
Approx. size Approx. size Approx. radius
33x13x13 Nucleus: 8x4 At most: 900
(km): (km): (km):

Density Density Density

2.4 varies ?
(g/cm3): (g/cm3): (g/cm3):

Mass (kg): 7.2 x 1015 Mass (kg): varies Mass (kg): ?

Atmosphere? Atmosphere? Dust and gas Atmosphere?

If yes, None If yes, cloud around If yes, ?
composition: composition: nucleus composition:

Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun Orbits… The Sun

Average Average Average

distance from distance from Perihelion: distance from
172 million 75,300 million
body it orbits body it orbits 200 million body it orbits
(km): (km): (km):
Period of Period of orbit Period of orbit
1.76 6.9 10,500
orbit (yrs): (yrs): (yrs):

Period of spin Period of spin Period of spin

5.27 NA 240
(hrs): (hrs): (hrs):
Known Known Known
satellites none satellites none satellites none
(moons): (moons): (moons):

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Approx. radius (km):

Density (g/cm3):

Mass (kg):

Atmosphere? If yes,
composition:

Orbits…

Average distance from

body it orbits (km):

Period of orbit:

Period of spin:

Known satellites
(moons):

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 Classifying Solar System Objects
Names of group members:

Your objective is to classify solar system objects by various characteristics. Use your set
of Solar System Characteristic Cards to help you!

1. Begin by choosing a characteristic and as a team think about how you will group
your cards according to that characteristic. Will you initially choose three
different possible groups (e.g. density less than 1, density between 1.1 and 2, and
density greater than 2 g/cm3), or 4 groups, or 2 groups?
2. Use the information on the cards to determine in which group each Solar System
Object fits. Record your classification scheme using a ‘tree’ similar to the
clothing example presented.
3. Further classify your objects by other characteristics and add on to or modify your
‘tree.’

Here is an example to help you begin.

1. Let’s start with the characteristic ‘density’ and three different possible groups or
classes.
2. Move your cards around so they are sorted by these classes, and draw a tree to
represent this scheme. Here is what your tree might look like.

Solar System Objects

Density < 1 Density = 1.1 to 2 Density > 2

-Saturn -Jupiter -Mercury
-Borrelly -Uranus -Venus
-Neptune -Earth
-Pluto? -Mars
-Enceladus -the Moon
-Charon -Europa

At this point you need to make sure all of your cards have been used, since a
classification scheme must provide an appropriate class to include all potential objects.
Looking at the cards, there are four solar system objects that have unknown densities. So
to the above scheme you must add another class, ‘unknown’ for it to be complete.

3. Assuming you have gone back and added another class so that all solar system
objects are included, let’s see if we can further sort these objects. It will be
easiest to look at the cards in each class and find a characteristic that might
further divide them. For example, let’s further classify these objects according
to the bodies they orbit. Here is one of them done for you (but in general you
should do this for all classes, including density <1, density = 1.1 to 2, and
density unknown!):

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 Density > 2

Orbits Sun Orbits Earth Orbits Jupiter

-Mercury -The Moon -Europa
-Venus
-Earth
-Mars

Your goal will be to create a meaningful classification scheme based on the physical
properties of the solar system objects. In order to achieve this you may have to try
several different schemes… Good luck!

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 Pandora’s Characteristics

Pandora Hope
Mean Radius Mean Radius
950 500
(km): (km):

Density (g/cm3): About 2 Density (g/cm3): About 1.5

Mass (kg): 0.07 x 1023 Mass (kg): 0.01 x 1023

Mixture of
Mixture of rock
Composition: rock and Composition:
and ice
ice
Atmosphere? If Atmosphere? If
yes, ? yes, ?
composition: composition:

Orbits… The Sun Orbits… Pandora

Average
Perihelion (km): 6,550 distance from
(closest point to Sun 18,000
in orbit) million body it orbits
(km):
Aphelion (km): 6,950 Period of orbit
(furthest point from 7.6
Sun in orbit) million (Earth days):

Period of spin
Eccentricity: 0.03 7.6
(Earth days):

Period of orbit
300
(yrs):

Period of spin
7.6
(Earth days):
Inclination with
respect to 52°
ecliptic plane:
Known satellites
1, Hope
(moons):

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 40 Figure 1. This diagram shows the orbits
of the outer planets as well as Pandora’s
orbit as if you were a bird looking down
20 from above the Sun. The Sun is in the
center, at 0 astronomical units (AU). An
AU is the average distance between the
Earth and the Sun, although the Earth is
0
J not shown in this diagram. As you can
S see, Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbital path
U and Pandora crosses Pluto’s orbital path.
-20 N Also notice that Pandora’s is the
P outermost orbit or it is furthest from the
Sun.
-40 Pandora

-40 -20 0 20 40

Other interesting information about Pandora:

• This is a cold object with ices such as methane, carbon monoxide, and possibly
water ice!
• Pandora and Hope are both spherical.
• Most planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane as the orbital plane of the
Earth, which is called the ecliptic. That is, if we imagine the plane of the Earth’s
orbit to be a tabletop, the orbits of all the other planets are nearly on the tabletop
as well. But Pandora’s orbit is far from the ecliptic; the plane of its orbit is tilted
by 52 degrees with respect to our imaginary tabletop! For an idea of what this
looks like, see Figure 2, below.

Ecliptic plane
Most of the
planets orbit the
Sun within or
nearly within this 52°
plane.

This darker plane is tilted

with respect to the ecliptic
Figure 2
plane by 52 degrees.

18
 International Astronomical Union
Panel Member Analysis
You are representing the International Astronomical Union, which is the body that
formally announces the discovery of new planets, decides on the official names of solar
system objects, as well as many other roles in the international astronomical community.

As a member, your job will be to research the many arguments for and against Pandora’s
status as a planet. It is very important that you not form an opinion; you are to remain
unbiased but well educated on the topic. Thoroughly review Pandora’s Characteristics,
the “Gravity Rules” article, and the current definitions for the word planet.

After you have heard the arguments presented for and against Pandora’s status, you will
then convene as a group and discuss the presentations. You will vote based on the
quality of the arguments presented on the status of Pandora (‘Yes, Pandora is a planet’ or
‘No, Pandora is not a planet’) as a group, with a simple majority determining the status.
You must select one member to present your findings to the class. You will have 5
minutes for discussion and voting.

Record compelling information from your research here:

19
Record detailed notes from each of the presentations here:

‘Yes’ Opening Statement:

‘Yes’ Topic Presenters

Group A:

Group B:

Group C:

‘No’ Opening Statement:

‘No’ Topic Presenters

Group A:

Group B:

Group C:

‘Yes’ Rebuttal Presenters

Group A:

Group B:

‘No’ Rebuttal Presenters

Group A:

Group B:

‘Yes’ Closing Statement:

‘No’ Closing Statement:

20
Debate Role: Opening/Closing Statement Presenters
Stance (circle yours!): Yes, Pandora is a Planet
No, Pandora is not a Planet

Let’s begin with a look at how the debate will proceed in class. As you know, there are
two sides to the debate: ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’ and ‘No, Pandora is not a Planet.’
We’ll abbreviate these to ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ from now on. Here is how the roles will present
in class during the debate:
• The moderator will begin with a reminder of the rules and format.
• ‘Yes’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)

Opening Statement/Closing Statement Presenters: Your job is to provide a brief

introduction (opening) or summary (closing) of your stance (‘Yes’ or ‘No’). Use
Pandora’s Characteristics, “Gravity Rules” and the current definitions for planet for
reference. You want to present the three main arguments supporting your stance. These
are the same three arguments that the Topic Presenters will use, however they will cover
these arguments in greater depth. Remember you will have 2 minutes for opening and 2
minutes for closing to present the three main arguments supporting your stance. (NOTE:
you should not introduce material that will not be/was not presented during the main
debate). You will be evaluated on your ability to form a succinct and coherent
introduction and summary of your arguments as well as your ability to work as a team.
Three main arguments of your stance:
1.

2.

3.

21
Plan for presenting opening statement:

Plan for presenting closing statement:

22
Debate Role: Topic Presenter
Group: A B C (circle one)
Stance (circle yours!): Yes, Pandora is a Planet
No, Pandora is not a Planet

Let’s begin with a look at how the debate will proceed in class. As you know, there are
two sides to the debate: ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’ and ‘No, Pandora is not a Planet’.
We’ll abbreviate these to ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ from now on. Here is how the roles will present
in class during the debate:
• The moderator will begin with a reminder of the rules and format.
• ‘Yes’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)

Topic Presenters: Your job is to present one of the main arguments that your team has
decided is important. Use Pandora’s Characteristics, “Gravity Rules” and the current
definitions for planet for reference. You want to provide specific evidence supporting
your stance (‘Yes’ or ‘No’) and your argument. Remember you will have 2 minutes per
group (A, B, and C) to support your argument. You will be evaluated on your ability to
form a coherent argument with ample supporting evidence as well as your ability to work
as a team.

Group A main argument:

Group B main argument:

23
Group C main argument:

Your plan for presenting your argument:

24
Debate Role: Rebuttal Presenters
Group: A B (circle one)
Stance (circle yours!): Yes, Pandora is a Planet
No, Pandora is not a Planet

Let’s begin with a look at how the debate will proceed in class. As you know, there are
two sides to the debate: ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’ and ‘No, Pandora is not a Planet’.
We’ll abbreviate these to ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ from now on. Here is how the roles will present
in class during the debate:
• The moderator will begin with a reminder of the rules and format.
• ‘Yes’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)

Rebuttal Presenters: Your job is to provide evidence opposing the arguments presented
by the other stance. For example, if you are on the ‘Yes’ team, you want to provide
evidence that illustrates why the arguments presented by the ‘No’ team are inadequate
(and vice versa). Therefore you will have to research all of the potential arguments for
the opposing stance and find weakness in their possible arguments. Since you don’t
know exactly which arguments the team representing the other stance will present, you
want to prepare as many different points of opposition as possible. Use Pandora’s
Characteristics, “Gravity Rules” and the current definitions for planet for reference.
Remember you will have 2 minutes for each of the two rebuttals. You will be evaluated
on your ability to provide relevant counter-evidence to the arguments presented by the
Topic Presenters from the other stance as well as your ability to work as a team.

Potential arguments presented by the opposing stance:

1.

2.

25
 3.

4.

5.

Your rebuttals and counter-evidence to those arguments:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

26
 Debate Scoring Rubric
Group score for: ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’ or ‘No, Pandora is not a Planet’

Overall Performance Level

1 2 3 4 5
Opening/Closing unclear, wordy or fairly succinct and succinct,
Statement rambling, long and succinct coherent coherent, and
Presenters: incoherent somewhat and eloquent
disorganized coherent
Statements
were…

Topic not coherent marginally coherent complex and complex,

Presenters: and lacked coherent with coherent with coherent, and
ample and adequate relevant eloquent with
Arguments evidence supported supporting supporting ample
were… with some evidence evidence relevant
evidence supporting
evidence
Rebuttal did not marginally addressed addressed each directly
Presenters: address the addressed most or all of the addressed
opponents’ some of the of the opponents’ each of the
Rebuttals… arguments opponents’ opponents’ arguments with opponents’
arguments arguments relevant arguments
adequately counter- with effective
evidence and relevant
counter-
evidence
Teamwork: disorganized; marginally organized; well organized; highly
presented organized; members members organized;
It was clear the material was presented presented presented each member
team was… contradictory; material did material different but built on
presentation not overlap; that did complementary previously
was highly presentation not material; presented
disjointed was overlap overall material;
disjointed with presentation overall
previously was clear presentation
presented was clear and
material concise

27
(Teacher Page) Debate Format: This format is based on the Lincoln-Douglas Debates
of 1858, but has been modified for classroom use. You will serve as the moderator in the
debate. In this role, you are to begin the formal debate with a reminder of the rules and
format (see below). After establishing the rules, announce the role and stance that will
present, and continue this throughout the debate. For example, first announce “Opening
statement, ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’”. After the opening statement presenter is finished,
announce “Topic presenters, group A, ‘Yes, Pandora is a Planet’”, etc. If you don’t want
to keep time you should select a time-keeper.

Topic: A solar system object was discovered via telescope and observed in a fly-by of the
New Horizons spacecraft. This object has temporarily been named Pandora. The
students are to debate whether Pandora should be considered a planet, or not,
based on its physical characteristics.

Rules:
• Speak only when recognized by the moderator. (You may wish to take
away a point from a team if a member speaks out of turn).
• Use respectful and appropriate language throughout (no put-downs, no
inappropriate language, be polite).
• Speak clearly, slowly, and loud enough for everyone to hear you.

Format:
• ‘Yes’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Opening Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Topic Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
Group C (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Rebuttal Presenters
Group A (2 minutes)
Group B (2 minutes)
• ‘Yes’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)
• ‘No’ Closing Statement (2 minutes)
o IAU panel convenes for a 5 minute discussion of the debate.
o IAU Chairperson presents conclusion of IAU panel as to status of
Pandora’s planethood.

28
 Gravity Rules: The Nature and Meaning of Planethood
by S. Alan Stern
Boulder - Mar 22, 2004

I am a planetary scientist, so you won't find it surprising that this past Monday evening,
March 15th, the dinner table conversation at our home eventually turned to the discovery
of the largest ever Kuiper Belt Object, Sedna (2003 VB12). When I remarked that I was
amused by the fact that some astronomers don't consider Sedna a planet, our teenage
daughter Kate joined in-agreeing that Sedna shouldn't be classified a planet.

Surprised, I asked why. "Dad, if Sedna is a planet, then Ceres is too, and there are
probably lots and lots more things this big that we haven't discovered. You all should
leave it to just the normal nine we learned about in school. We can't have so many planets
that you can't name them all!"

Flawed, as it was, Kate's logic about exactly what should and should not qualify as a
planet is about as good what I have heard lately from some professional astronomers. I
explained to Kate that no one knows the names of all the stars, or all the galaxies, but that
doesn't mean we limit the number of stars and galaxies to just the first few handfuls that
were named. For that matter, I remarked, if your brain was so completely full of names of
people that it just couldn't take any more, would anyone new who you met after that,
therefore not be a person? Of course not! We decide whether a person is a person based
on their genetics, just as we do when classifying any given living thing into its species.
Likewise, astronomers decide whether a star is a star or not, and whether a galaxy is a
galaxy or not, based on its physical properties. It might be a dwarf star or a giant star, a
dwarf galaxy or a giant galaxy, but the basic qualification is based on some physical
characteristic of the object.

Stars, for example, are objects that generate the bulk of their energy as a result of
sustained nuclear fusion in their interiors. If an object is too small to generate the bulk of
its energy as a result of sustained nuclear fusion in its interior, then it isn't termed a star -
period. Astronomers do not exclude tiny stars - called dwarf stars - as stars because they
are too small; if they have the salient characteristic of a star, i.e., energy generation by
fusion, they are termed a star. Despite that, however, some of my brethren think that
dwarf planetary bodies like Sedna shouldn't be termed planets.

I'm amused by this. One doesn't deny a Chihuahua a place among dogs because it is too
small. And we don't deny a gnat a place among insects, or a Japanese bonsai a place
among trees for similar reasons to the reason we don't exclude dwarf stars from the list of
stars - because something deeply characteristic - "genetic" if you will-binds the
classification across a wide range of sizes.

Owing to the recent discoveries of objects as mind-bending as Sedna, pulsar planets, and
super-Jupiters, planetary astronomers are now facing the question of determining formal
planet classification criteria. What is needed is a clear, unambiguous criterion (or a set of

29
criteria) that can be applied to test any given astronomical object to determine whether it
is a planet.

Why hadn't we astronomers faced this issue long ago? It's because until recently,
technological limits kept us from seeing very many examples, and therefore much real
variety, among planets.

This situation astronomers are facing now is rather as if Kate had grown up entirely in
our house, having never left it or seen any of the outside world, except through our
windows (there are days mind you that I think this might have been a good thing). With
her range of view, and therefore her range of experience, limited this make believe way,
Kate would only know of a handful or so of other homes that one can see from ours.
Several are one story homes, several are two story, and there isn't much real variation in
the range of compositions. If Kate were then one day able to ascend to our roof - or better
- to roam the streets of our town, seeing neighborhood after neighborhood, she'd suddenly
be confronted with a much greater population of houses. Moreover, in this larger
population, she'd see much greater variations in the sizes, styles, compositions, and
settings that houses can take on.

This is exactly analogous to what has happened in astronomy over the past dozen years
or so with regard to our knowledge of the range of bodies that one might classify as a
planet. Simply put, the growing capabilities of telescopes and detector systems available
since the early 1990s have enabled the discovery of bodies with masses about that of the
Earth that orbit pulsars ("pulsar planets"), objects many times the mass of Jupiter that
orbit far away stars ("super Jupiters"), and a growing bevy of tiny worlds in the icy
Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune ("ice dwarfs"). These findings dramatically broadened our
knowledge horizon and forced us to confront what is and isn't a planet.

Oddly, there isn't much controversy to the upper boundary line above which an object is
no longer called a planet. If there is enough mass that the object ignites in fusion, such an
object is simply termed a star. I have yet to hear anyone call for a separate category for
those objects that generate most of their energy by gravitational contraction, as objects
like Saturn and Jupiter, and the giant "super Jupiters" do.

Where the controversy comes in is at the small end - i.e., in deciding what the lower size
boundary should be for planet classification. In that regard, I have heard a lot of
suggestions as to how we might go about deciding whether any given object is too small
to be a planet, or not. The ones I don't like fall into three categories.

Idea 1: Formation Mechanism Rules. "If an object forms like a planet then it is a
planet; if it forms like a star, then it is a star."

A nice try, I say, but this is fatally flawed in at least two different ways. First, we do not
know how to determine how any given object formed without ambiguity. Just how did
those pulsar planets form? No one knows. How about those super Jupiters? There are
least five separate proposed formation mechanisms for these bodies in the technical

30
literature. How about our own Jupiter for that matter? We can't even agree yet on this -
because we don't have sufficient data to distinguish between two well-developed,
plausible models. Another problem with the Formation Mechanism idea is that both stars
and planets can each occasionally form by mergers and also by the fission of a rapidly
rotating parent body - so in those cases the formation criterion can't distinguish whether
such objects are stars, or planets, or some kind of astrophysical hermaphrodite. We
simply have to find a better criterion than this.

Idea 2: Just legislate it. "Adopt some minimum size or mass-say the size or mass of
Mercury (diameter=4800 km), or maybe even Pluto (diameter=2400 km), as the
minimum size for a planet."

Using this criterion, anything above the legislated line (that isn't so massive as to turn
itself into a star) would qualify. This idea is nicer than the first one because you can
actually hope to measure an object's size or mass. It also allows one to keep from jarring
the public who were taught for so long that Pluto is a planet. However, legislation like
this certainly isn't a very scientific way to proceed. In fact, I'd say it's at best a lazy
person's way out because it's completely arbitrary, and has no connection to the physical
attributes of planetary bodies. If biologists had adopted this kind of size rule for species
classification, babies would be excluded from their own species, despite the fact that we
know they are genetically related to adults by their DNA! Ridiculous; search on.

Idea 3: Location Rules. "Let's use an object's location as the criterion to establish or
reject it from planethood."

I like this one least of all because it is nothing but quicksand. The most common form of
this idea is to classify an object as a planet if it is the largest thing in its region. By this
criterion, objects like Ceres and Sedna are planets, for they are the largest known things
in their regions of the solar system. But what happens when we later discover something
out there past Sedna in the Oort Cloud that is larger still. Will we declassify Sedna and
replace it with Mr. New Planet? And what if we then find still larger and bigger bodies
there? And what do we do about the extra-solar planetary systems where we have no idea
what else lurks out there beyond the one or two or three bodies we have spotted so far in
each system? Just like the Formation Mechanism criterion, the Location Rules criterion
either leaves us paralyzed, unable to render classifications, or living with the threat of
endless reclassification. Moreover, we know that planets can migrate around their
planetary systems, changing orbits and therefore location for various reasons. By the
Location Rules criterion, which objects in a given system are planets becomes a function
of when you look, which is nuts. The root of the problem with the Location Rules
criterion is that it, like the Formation Mechanism and Legislative criteria, fails because it
doesn't recognize any physical attribute of about the nature of a given object, simply its
size relative to its cohort population. ("Pluto can't be a planet because it is in the Kuiper
Belt.") If biologists adopted this kind of criterion for species classification, a cowboy
would become a cow when he herds his cattle! Location is an important factor for
realtors, but I don't think it serves anybody satisfactorily for planet classification.

31
Well, if none of these three ideas work, what are we to do?

The idea that I do like is very simple. It identifies a physical characteristic for setting a
lower boundary to planet classification, akin to the "fusion energy generation" criterion
for stars. Any kid knows that when you draw a picture of a planet, you have to draw
something round. So the idea I like is this: If an object is large enough for gravity to
round its shape, then it is no longer just a structure ruled by mechanical strength, like a
rock, a building, or a mountain - instead, it is a wholly different kind of structure that we
call a planet. I like to call this criterion, "Gravity Rules."

One can calculate the minimum size body that will become rounded by its own gravity
starting from very basic principles of physics. Doing so, you find the boundary is a
diameter of a few hundred kilometers.

A great number of scientists like this idea. I like it for a number of reasons. For one thing,
it's based on physics. In fact, it is ultimately the same kind of physics (the effects of
gravitational forces) that stars are classified by - for the thing that turns a large enough
body to fusion is its self gravity - which heats an object's interior sufficiently to ignite
nuclei in a chain reaction. As a result, this criterion provides a satisfying connection
across major classification schemes in astronomy. For another thing, Gravity Rules is
comparatively easy to apply - by simply measuring an object's mass or radius (some of
the easiest things to determine from afar), we can perform the test to decide if an object
should be classified as a planet, or not. Furthermore, the Gravity Rules criterion provides
welcome stability - objects don't change classification as they evolve or change location.

Adopting Gravity Rules, all of the planets cited in textbooks, all of the pulsar planets, the
super Jupiters, and Pluto, Sedna, Ceres, along with a handful of other asteroids and
numerous large Kuiper Belt Objects, fall into the broad category of planets because
gravity has rounded them. Some are giants, some are dwarfs, but all are planets, in the
same way that some people are giants and some are dwarfs, but all are homo sapiens that
share a deeper connection than just a size criterion.

Interestingly, the Gravity Rules criterion just happens to put the Earth about mid-way in
size, in a logarithmic sense, between the tiniest dwarf planets and the largest giant
planets.

The Gravity Rules criterion of course means that planetary systems (including our own)
have very many planets - and most of them dwarfs. I tell school kids that the old view of
the solar system that I was taught had nine planets; but things are changing and their kids
are likely to hear a number closer to nine hundred than nine. This seems to be a problem
for some of my colleagues, but frankly, I don't see why. It simply involves a situation for
planetary systems that is analogous to the established fact that galaxies have very many
stars, and most stars are dwarf stars (by the way, it is also known that most galaxies are
dwarf galaxies). Frankly, this is the first time I can ever remember large numbers scaring
any astronomers.

32
Fewer and fewer astronomers find they can compellingly argue against the Gravity Rules
criterion. Alas, not so my teen, who is sticking to her guns. "Dad," Kate told me
yesterday over coffee, "I can deal with too many stars to name. I can deal with Pluto,
which is obviously a planet because, duh, it is round and it is in my textbook - but there
are only nine planets and there should never be any more. Otherwise it's like I told you,
we will just have a mess on our hands when it comes time to name them all on tests."

Planetary scientist Alan Stern is an Executive Director of the Space Science and Engineering Division of
the Southwest Research Institute, and the Principal Investigator of NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt mission, New
Horizons (http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/).

33
Extensions and Adaptations:
• If a student is unable to present in the debate for any reason, they could be the official
time-keeper for the debate.
• To adapt this activity to younger students, cut the time for the debate to 1 minute per
role/speaker instead of 2 minutes.
• Some of the characteristics in the Solar System Characteristic Cards were unknown at
the time of writing. Students could research the Solar System Objects for which
characteristics were unknown to see if new information is yet available.

References and Resources:

• Rules of debate and adaptations for classroom use from Education World:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson304b.shtml
• The Kuiper Belt, from the NASA New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt:
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/science/everything_pluto/12_kuiper_belt.html
• Is Pluto a Planet, from the NASA New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper
Belt: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/science/everything_pluto/11_pluto_planet.html
• Gravity Rules: The Nature and Meaning of Planethood, by Alan Stern of the
Southwest Research Institute: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/outerplanets-
04b.html
• Pluto is a Planet, by John Stansberry:
http://rincon.as.arizona.edu/~stansber/PlutoPlanet.html
• Is Pluto a giant comet? From the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/icq/ICQPluto.html
• Having Pups Over Pluto and the Planetary Misfits of the Kuipers, by Robert Sanders
for SPACEDAILY: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/outerplanets-03e.html
• Definition of a Planet, by Marc Buie, Lowell Observatory:
http://www.lowell.edu/users/buie/pluto/planetdefn.html
• Yes, Pluto Really is a Planet, by Marc Buie, Lowell Observatory:
http://www.lowell.edu/users/buie/pluto/planet.html
• Much ado about Pluto, from NASA Space Science News:
http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast17feb99_1.htm
• It May Be Small, But It’s Still A Planet, from Space Today Online:
http://www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Pluto/PlutoPlanet.html
• A Good Definition of the Word “Planet”: Mission Impossible, by Gibor Basri, for the
Universe in the Classroom, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/59/planetdefine.html
• The International Astronomical Union: http://www.iau.org/
• ‘New planet’ forces rethink, by Helen Briggs, BBC News Online:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3516952.stm
• 2004 NASA News Release: Most Distant Object in Solar System Discovered,
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2004/85.cfm
• Distant Object Could be ‘Tenth Planet’, by Maggie McKee for the New Scientist:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4776
• http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/sedna/index.html#planets
• http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/

34
Standards:

National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996)

Content Standards: 9-12

History and Nature of Science, CONTENT STANDARD G:

• Science as a human endeavor

• Nature of scientific knowledge
• Historical perspectives

Benchmarks (AAAS, 1993)

Chapter 1. The Nature of Science

1A: The Scientific World View

Grades 9 through 12
• Scientists assume that the universe is a vast single system in which the
basic rules are the same everywhere. The rules may range from very
simple to extremely complex, but scientists operate on the belief that the
rules can be discovered by careful, systematic study.
• From time to time, major shifts occur in the scientific view of how the
world works. More often, however, the changes that take place in the body
of scientific knowledge are small modifications of prior knowledge.
Change and continuity are persistent features of science.
• No matter how well one theory fits observations, a new theory might fit
them just as well or better, or might fit a wider range of observations. In
science, the testing, revising, and occasional discarding of theories, new
and old, never ends. This ongoing process leads to an increasingly better
understanding of how things work in the world but not to absolute truth.
Evidence for the value of this approach is given by the improving ability
of scientists to offer reliable explanations and make accurate predictions.

35