My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine P... This was how children were taught to remember the order of the solar system, which has now lost its ninth planet that never was.
The celestial demotion of Pluto as a planet by International Astronomical Union (IAU), and the subsequent drop in planets from nine to eight, has left schools in Gujarat wondering and astronomers divided.
While schools are waiting to get official information about the change in the number of planets from their respective boards so that they can instruct teachers accordingly, astronomers are struggling to come to terms with the resolution.
“We will have to do something after the new resolution. Students are asking questions about the actual number of planets. Teachers discussed the point today at a meeting and we will talk to the District Education Officer on this. Geography teachers have been asked to ensure that latest information is passed on to students,” said H B Kapadia High School principal Ranjeeta Gill.
The task is tough for all boards who have been teaching children about the nine planets from as early as Class III.
“Students are used to learning about nine planets. I think the change, though minor, will create confusion in their minds. Though we have ensured that right information goes to them through geography teachers,” Sunil Trivedi, principal of Delhi Public School, Ahmedabad, said.
Another thing that binds the planet with children is Mickey Mouse’s bumbling dog who too is called Pluto.
Astronomers have some nostalgic affiliation to the planet. “The community used it as a benchmark. Whenever a new celestial body was found, the first question was use to be, is it bigger or smaller than Pluto? Now we will not be able to pose that question,” said Manoj Pai, General Secretary, Confederation of Indian Amateur Astronomers and President of the Astronomy Club Ahmedabad.
“There are about two billion celestial objects including supernovas, stars and other bodies, but Pluto is certainly one of the most interesting and intriguing,” he said.
Others feels that a 15-year-old debate has come to an end. “Advanced technology has concluded that Pluto is not fit to be a planet. It’s not demoting, but redefining it systematically as a dwarf planet. There’s rationale behind it. In the long run, it’ll benefit students as it will avoid confusion,” said N M Ashok, professor and chairman, Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, Physical Research Laboratory.
According to Dr Narottam Sahoo of Science City, “As per IAU’s definition, a planet as a celestial body that orbits the Sun and is big enough that its self-gravity pulls it into a roughly spherical shape. Pluto doesn’t fit the bill. So once it is defined, it will help us explore more about the solar system.”
Founded in 1930, Pluto was the part of the world’s consciousness for more than 70 years.
The suddenly much-maligned celestial body — 3.7 billion miles from the Sun— was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh when he was just 24 years of age. The ninth planet from then on became the part of the solar system.
What do the stars say? Planet no. 9 didn’t really matter
PLUTO may have tumbled from its planet number nine position, but astrologers aren’t really perturbed. For Indian astrology, over 5,000 years old, never had Pluto as one of its main planets, be it when making and analysing horoscopes or studying planetary alignments.
‘‘We have only seven planets according to our ancient shastras, namely Chandra (Moon), Mangal (Mars), Buddh (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn) and Surya (Sun). The shadow planets known as the chhaya graha are Rahu and Ketu. Neptune, Uranus and Pluto are more part of Western astrology,’’ said Pankaj Nagar, formerly vice-president of Indian Astrological Society of India.
‘‘Western scientists and astronomers have come to realise that Pluto is not in the orbit of the surya mala. I think Hindu astrologers will be most happy since this planet never existed in a state of prominence for us ever and therefore isn’t known enough. Our ancient rishi munis never highlighted Pluto and now the computer kundlis that will be made will eliminate its presence. It wouldn’t be wrong for me to say that Pluto has been like a UFO for us when studying astro charts,’’ Nagar added.
However, unlike students who have been learning about the nine planets at school, astro pandits have never quite studied the planet to make readings and predictions.
Renowned astrologer Dharmendrasinh Zala explained: ‘‘Hindu shastras are not affected by these planets anyways, considering they have been found only in the last 100 years — Neptune (Prajapati), Uranus (Varun) and Pluto (Yamm). Since Pluto is the farthest from Earth, it also has as good as no effect on us which is why you have neither astro gem rings and stones nor mantras and predictions based on the planet Pluto in the birth chart. It does not impact horoscopes. I had predicted on November 28, 2001, about a new graha being born out of the Sun,’’ said Zala, showing newspaper and magazine clippings about his prediction that came true some months later.
‘‘The planet went through Pluto and found its place behind it. July 2003 mein yeh graha Vruschik rashi aur Anuradha nakshatra ke beech mein pad gaya jisse ki Pluto mein upheavals aaye honge. And so while US astronomer Mike Brown calls it the UB313, it is the tenth planet, bigger than Earth. Being a dark planet, far from the Sun, Pluto is ineffective anyways. Besides, it is not a solid round and crosses by Neptune when it revolves round the Sun. It’s presence didn’t help us, the absence won’t either,’’ he added.