A new and improved definition for the term 'planet' will soon be proposed that would expand the title beyond the confines of solar system to include every alien world we discover. In 2006, over 2,500 ...

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted on the definition of a planet. Famously, Pluto no longer met the criteria and was demoted to a dwarf planet. Things have been a bit of a mess ...

Our solar system is much like a trail of microcosmic breadcrumbs: Follow the molecular bits as far back as they go, and you'll learn a thing or two about where many of our planets and other celestial ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Three astronomers last week proposed expanding the official definition of a planet to encompass ...

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930; however, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified it as a dwarf planet, a decision sparking debate among astronomers and planetary ...

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto that is inserted beneath the Short Wave logo. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the ...

The International Astronomical Union defines a planet as a celestial body that orbits the sun, is massive enough that gravity has forced it into a spherical shape, and has cleared away other objects ...

Three astronomers last week proposed expanding the official definition of a planet to encompass worlds orbiting stars other than our own, a nuance not currently included in the formal definition of ...