Pluto is one of the most interesting objects in our solar system. Like our solar system's planets, it has enough mass to maintain a nearly round shape. It's dense and rocky like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. On the other hand, it's smaller than all of the other planets, even smaller than the Earth's moon.

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted Pluto from full planet status.

In an essay of at least 400 words (minimum):

Part 1: Describe why Pluto was demoted.

Describe what class of planetoid it is considered now.
Describe the other bodies that share this distinction in our solar system.

Part 2: What have been the ramifications of this decision?

Describe the reaction by the scientific community and by the public.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you agree or disagree with the decision?

Part 3: Documentation

Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. The body of the paper must have in-text citations that correspond to the references. Integrate all sources into your paper using proper techniques of quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing, along with proper use of in-text citations to credit your sources.

Your report must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA style.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.