Make Pluto great again: why the debate over Plutos status is returning to the United States

A scientific debate resurfaces, reaching the American political arena through an interview with the NASA head in the “Daily Mail”.

Twenty years after being downgraded to a dwarf planet, Pluto is back in the spotlight in the United States. Not due to a scientific discovery, but in an unexpected context as the debate reemerges into political spheres.

Originally, the NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, took a stand. In an interview with the Daily Mail titled “Let’s Make Pluto Great Again”, he expressed support for the idea of Donald Trump acting to restore Pluto’s planetary status. “I support President Trump 100% in this project,” he declared.

This position is also justified by a form of historical recognition, aiming to “restore its rightful place” to Pluto, discovered in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.

Several logics underlie this stance: an ongoing scientific dispute, national pride around an American discovery, and, more recently, a political takeover of the subject.

The sequence is surprising, as the status of Pluto seemed settled in 2006. The International Astronomical Union redefined the criteria for classifying a celestial body as a planet. Pluto, not meeting the conditions, was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

However, this definition lacks consensus, with some researchers contesting the criteria chosen in 2006. Some argue it is too restrictive as it overlooks other aspects like geology or the presence of an atmosphere, characteristics that align Pluto with other planets.

Further discussions, once confined to the scientific field, are now taking on a political dimension. Public figures like William Shatner and Elon Musk support Pluto’s return to glory.

Despite the political interest, the classification of planets is a matter for the International Astronomical Union, not political decision-making. Even if Trump were to intervene, it wouldn’t affect this classification.

Twenty years after its downgrade, Pluto still evokes attachment and controversy, now extending into the American public debate.