Is Pluto a Planet?: A Historical Journey through the Solar System (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: thirteenth planet, prediscovery observations, primary orbit, Kuiper Belt, Lowell Observatory, Naval Observatory (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Earlier this year, when astronomers officially "demoted" Pluto from its status as the ninth planet in our solar system, they little expected the public rancor that followed the decision. Vanderbilt astronomer Weintraub places the Pluto controversy in context in his judicious, lively account of the development of our solar system and the evolution of the meaning of the word planet, from Aristotle's theories to recent decrees by the International Astronomical Union. Assuming a geocentric universe, Aristotle argued that Mercury, Venus, the Moon, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were the only seven planets in the celestial realms. Later scientists—notably Kepler, Copernicus and Galileo—revolutionized astronomy by demonstrating that Earth and the other planets revolved elliptically rather than in perfect circular movements around the sun. By the mid-18th century, astronomers discovered other celestial bodies—comets, asteroids and moons—that often acted like planets by orbiting the sun and threw the definition of a planet into even more confusion. Weintraub effectively shows that Pluto is a planet by most definitions, but so are several other objects in the Kuiper asteroid belt. Weintraub's provocative, engaging study points to the richness and complexity of our solar system and its many possible planets. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

Its status ambiguous ever since its discovery in 1930, hapless Pluto received an insult to its dignity when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted it from planethood in August 2006. Weintraub, though, will not be stampeded as he methodically considers the historically evolving definitions of a planet. An astronomy professor, he walks through inductions and expulsions from the planetary hall of fame that have accompanied the replacement of the geocentric solar system by the heliocentric one. With fine clarity, Weintraub explains how Kepler's laws, Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's moons, and Newton's laws lent mathematical definition to planets and gave astronomers the inspiration and tools to find more. After full-bodied Uranus and Neptune, tiny Pluto on its eccentric orbit was a dud, but surely a planet, no? That assertion wobbled under recent recognition that Pluto inhabits a neighborhood of similarly icy spheres, the Plutinos, which Weintraub descriptively catalogs. His survey of planetary discovery in hand, Weintraub delivers his answer to the title's question to cap an accessible, informative presentation of planetary astronomy. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (October 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691123489
• ISBN-13: 978-0691123486
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #920,733 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Long View, December 10, 2006

By	Don R. Lago (Flagstaff, Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Is Pluto a Planet?" provides valuable historical context for the recent IAU decision to demote Pluto from planet status. The book's main point is that the progress of astronomy has forced several previous mutations in our definition of 'planet'. Several times newly-found objects have been accepted as planets, until it was realized they were just too different and represented a new class of objects. When we first discovered objects circling Jupiter they were first called planets, until it was decided that a planet had to have its own orbit around the sun, and thus these objects were redefined as moons. When we first found asteroids they were first called planets, since they did indeed have their own orbits around the sun, but then it was decided that asteroids were in a class of their own. And when we first found Pluto it was thought to be much larger than it turned out to be, but now it too seems to be much less typical of the other planets than of a new class of smaller bodies on the outskirts of the solar system. The author clearly holds the opinion that Pluto sneaked into planethood through historical accident and didn't deserve it, but he does try to offer the 'pro-Pluto' viewpoint. Readers should be aware that this book was written before the IAU decision and doesn't contain any account of it; for readers seeking a Pluto-specific book the long discussion of our evolving concepts of the solar system may be more than they wanted. But this book is also a unique study in astronomical and intellectual history, showing how people from many times and places have conscientiously tried to deal with the tension between old habits and new information.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pluto! Pluto!! What are you??, March 25, 2008

By	Stephen Pletko "Uncle Stevie" (London, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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QUESTION: What Is the ultimate goal of this book?
ANSWER: Our solar system historically has had nine major plants. They are, as you proceed outwards from the Sun, as follows:

(1) Mercury (2) Venus (3) Earth (4) Mars (5) Jupiter (6) Saturn (7) Uranus (8) Neptune (9) Pluto.

({1 to 4} are the inner or terrestrial planets and {5 to 8} are the outer or giant planets.)

The controversy this book deals concerns the last planet on this list, Pluto. Is it indeed a planet or is it...something else?

This is the question that is answered in this informative, well-written book authored by David Weintraub, a professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University.

To answer the question, "Is Pluto a planet?," it only makes sense that you have to answer a more basic question: "What is a planet?" This is actually the question at the heart of this book. Despite its simplicity, this question is not easy to answer.

This book tells how the meaning of the word "planet" has changed from ancient times to the present day, as new solar system objects (moons, asteroids, comets, centaurs, Kuiper Belt objects, etc.) have been discovered. Weintraub provides the historical, philosophical, and astronomical background that allows the reader to decide whether Pluto deserves to be called a planet.

A hallmark of this book is how it weaves the historical with the scientific into a single, intriguing story.

Think of the planets as tiny specks circling the sun. If you backed off to see the solar system as a whole, the four outer giant planets would hardly be noticeable and the four inner planets including Pluto would be lost in the sun's glare.

This conception of the solar system was accepted only after one of the major intellectual upheavals in human history took place about four centuries ago: the Copernican revolution (after Nicolaus Copernicus). The key to this revolution was the work of five scientists who collectively lived between 1470 and 1730. These people paved the way for the solar system discoveries that were to follow.

It should be noted that this book was written just before the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decision regarding Pluto. Weintraub anticipated this decision and says:

"Making such a decision should not be a arbitrary activity. `Is Pluto a planet?' is a scientific question, not a matter of public opinion or a decision to be made by NASA or a panel of distinguished astronomers [which the IAU is]. Science moves forward at a pace dictated by progress in understanding, not by fiat or a majority vote of a committee."

The above statement by Weintraub should alert the potential reader to the high standard of excellence this book aspires too, a book grounded in science and not opinion or majority vote.

Finally, there are pictures, graphs, portraits, etc. found throughout. These help in both understanding and add another dimension to the book.

In conclusion, this is a book for those people seeking a fuller understanding of the history of our solar system, the science surrounding Pluto, and the tantalizing, provocative, recent discoveries in our outer solar system.

(first published late 2006; preface; 14 chapters; postscript; main narrative 230 pages; appendix: "What we know about Pluto;" notes; index)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Historical Consideration, July 19, 2008

By	Chad Davies "Downhill" (Barnesville, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When is an object in the heavens a planet? At its heart, that's what David Weintraub's book, "Is Pluto a Planet?" is about. This topic, while of limited significance astronomically, has been much in the news and the public eye since the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to reclassify Pluto, along with a few other objects, as a minor planet.

Weintraub does an excellent job of working through the historical answers to this question beginning with the ancient Greeks and working into the twentieth century ideas and definitions. In doing so, he encourages the reader to understand that today's popular definition (i.e.-the one held by most casual thinkers) is clearly tied to ancient definitions that have long lost their relevance in today's discussion. Covered in the first 150 pages of the book, this narrative clearly outlines the progression from where humankind began in its journey of understanding the heavens to a modern view of the solar system and the forces and processes that govern and shape it.

Perhaps the best part of the book however lies in the last four chapters. It is in these chapters that Weintraub foes into the science of the last 10-15 years that has led to the questioning of Pluto as a planet and what other things it might be. While I disagree with the author's final conclusions regarding the matter, I do think he does an excellent job in asking the reader to consider what makes a planet a planet and challenging whether such a term has any relevance in today's astronomy.

My only disappointment in the book was that the author did not include the criteria that the IAU used in designating Pluto and other objects as "minor planets". I feel that while the author seems to disagree with the IAU's final determinations, it would have been much more helpful to have both sides of the argument to compare. By leaving the the IAU's position out of the text, the author seems to be somewhat afraid of allowing his readers the chance to understand all aspects of the debate.

I would definitely recommend this book to all readers who are interested in the history of solar system astronomy, are curious about the most recent discoveries at the outer edges of our solar system and who have been energized by the debate over Pluto's status. This book is an excellent contribution to the conversation.