π¬ Pluto becomes a dwarf planet (2006)
Where: Prague, Czech Republic
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π On This Day: August 24
August 24, 2006: Pluto becomes a dwarf planet. On 24 August 2006, astronomers of the International Astronomical Union, meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, voted on a new meaning of the word 'planet'. As a result, Pluto was no longer a planet and became a 'dwarf planet'. That is why our Solar System now has eight planets.
β¨ More events on this day
- 1787 π§ Sailor and explorer James Weddell was born in 1787; he sailed farther south than anyone before him, and the Weddell Sea and Weddell seal are named after him.
- 1852 π‘ Cook and inventor Agnes Marshall was born in 1852; known as the 'Queen of Ices', she is often called the inventor of the modern ice cream cone.
- 2016 π Astronomers announced Proxima Centauri b in 2016, a planet circling the nearest star to the Sun and the closest planet outside our Solar System.
π§ Question of the day
How many planets does the Solar System have now?
- Eight
- Nine
- Twelve
Show the answer
Answer: Eight
Questions
What happened on August 24?
August 24, 2006: Pluto becomes a dwarf planet. It happened in Prague, Czech Republic.
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