Pluto's Planetary Status Quiz

What event in 2006 caused a public uproar regarding Pluto?

• Pluto was declared a star.

• Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

• Pluto was discovered to have moons.

• Pluto was found to be larger than Earth.

What was the public's reaction to Pluto's reclassification in 2006?

• Confusion and curiosity.

• Outrage and anger.

• Widespread acceptance.

• Indifference.

Who is Alan Stern in the context of Pluto's classification?

• An astronomer who opposes Pluto's reclassification.

• A member of the IAU who reclassified Pluto.

• A scientist who discovered Pluto.

• The leader of NASA's New Horizons mission.

What was discovered in the late '90s that challenged Pluto's status as a planet?

• Pluto's atmosphere.

• Pluto's rings.

• Pluto's magnetic field.

• Other similar-sized objects in the Kuiper belt.

What did the discovery of Eris lead to in terms of planetary classification?

• The need for a clearer definition of a planet.

• The reclassification of all planets.

• The discovery of more moons around Pluto.

• The confirmation of Pluto as a planet.

What is one of the criteria set by the IAU for an object to be classified as a planet?

• It must be the largest object in its orbit.

• It must have a moon.

• It must have an atmosphere.

• It must orbit the sun.

According to Alan Stern, how should dwarf planets be classified?

• As a separate category from planets.

• As stars.

• As asteroids.

• As a type of planet.

What was one of the reasons for the IAU's reclassification of Pluto?

• Pluto's lack of a moon.

• Pluto's irregular orbit.

• Pluto's inability to clear its neighborhood.

• Pluto's small size.

What is the significance of the New Horizons mission in relation to Pluto?

• It reclassified Pluto as a planet.

• It provided evidence of Pluto's atmosphere.

• It found evidence of ice volcanoes and hidden oceans on Pluto.

• It discovered Pluto's moons.

What is the general consensus among planetary scientists regarding the definition of a planet?

• They use a broader definition that includes dwarf planets.

• They consider only the largest objects as planets.

• They strictly follow the IAU's definition.

• They do not have a consensus.