Funny, isn't it? After approximately 76 years of known existence, Pluto is suddenly excluded from the list of planets in our solar system. Pluto, till now, was considered the ninth planet and the farthest one from the sun in the solar system. It was initially noticed in the year 1905, when Lowell Observatory (founded by Dr. Lowell in 1894) started an extensive project in search of a possible ninth planet. It was finally given an identity in 1930 by Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh of Arizona's Lowell Observatory.



Pluto is no stranger to controversy. Infact, it's been dogged by disputes ever since its discovery. Many astronomers feel that Pluto, now officially downgraded to ?dwarf status? on August 24, 2006 by International Astronomical Union, never deserved to be a full planet in the first place. Pluto was considered a planet because scientists initially believed that it was of the same size as of earth. It remained one because for years, it was the only known object in the Kuiper Belt, an enigmatic zone beyond the Neptune that is teeming with comets and other planetary objects. In 1978, Pluto was found to have a moon, later named as Cheron. Later two more were found which christened Nix and Hydra this past june.

So now the question appears: What is a planet's new defination and why was Pluto disqualified ? The answer provided to the people is that a Planet should be a Celestial Body that (i) Orbits around the Sun; (ii) Has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to pull it into a nearly spherical shape; and (iii) Has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. Pluto was disqualified because it failed to meet the third condition. Its oblong orbit overlaps Neptune's.

The movements of the planets along their orbit is very essential for their existence and their inclusion in the solar system. Astrology as a subject is in connection with the movements of the planets around the sun. In astrology, planet differs from its modern usage. Astrology utilises the ancient geocentric model of the universe in its calculations and thus employs the term in its original geocentric sense.

The seven classical planets are those which can easily be seen with the naked eye and were thus known to ancient astrologers before the advent of the telescope. The Sun also know as ?Sol? is usually thought to represent the conscious ego, the self, and the principles of creativity, spontaneity, health and vitality - the life force. The sun is the planetary ruler of Leo. The moon or ?Luna? is the ruling planet of Cancer. It is associated with a person's emotional make-up, unconscious habits, rhythms, memories and moods. Mercury is the ruling planet of Gemini and Virgo and represents the principles of mentality, thinking patterns, rationality, transport, reasoning, and communication. Venus associated with the Roman goddess of love, is described as representing love. Venus is associated with the principles of harmony, beauty, balance, and the urge to unite. It is the ruling planet of Taurus and Libra. Mars is the ruling planet of Aries and, for many astrologers, Scorpio. Before the discovery of Pluto, it was universally considered the ruler of Scorpio. Most modern astrologers consider Pluto the ruler of Scorpio, but may regard Mars as a co-ruler, while all traditional astrologers still regard Mars as the only ruler of Scorpio. Jupiter is associated with the principles of growth, expansion, religion, higher education, prosperity and protecting roles. Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius, and for many astrologers, also the ruler of Pisces. Saturn is the ruling planet of Capricorn and, traditionally, Aquarius. It is associated with the principles of limitation, restrictions, boundaries, reality, crystallizing and structures.

Since the invention of the telescope, Western astrology has incorporated Uranus, Neptune and Pluto into its methodology. The planet Uranus is the ruling planet of Aquarius and associates with the principles of genius, new and unconventional ideas, discoveries, electricity, inventions, and radical politics, among other things. Modern astrologers associate the planet Neptune with illusion, deception, religions, spirituality, the mass media, music, drugs, extreme sensitivity, psychic phenomena and altered mental states. Neptune is the ruling planet of Pisces. ?Pluto? is considered to represent the part of a person that destroys in order to renew. A commonly used keyword for Pluto is "transformation". It is the ruling planet of Scorpio.

Pluto is also associated with extreme power and corruption; the discovery of Pluto in 1930 coincided with the rise of fascism and Stalinism in Europe and the major proliferation of organized crime in the United States. It is also associated with nuclear armament, which had its genesis in the research of that decade.

Forget what you were taught in school, Pluto is no longer a full planet. The Classsic planets of the solar system becomes eight now namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

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