jrothwell97's Journal: Pluto stripped of planetary status

BBC News is reporting that IAU members have voted in Prague to strip Pluto of its planetary status. Around 2500 members voted to demote Pluto to a trans-Neptunian object. This was after the discovery three years ago of 2003UB313, significantly larger than Pluto and at a further orbit from the Sun. From the article:

Astronomers rejected a proposal that would have retained Pluto as a planet and brought three other objects into the cosmic club. Pluto has been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930 by the American Clyde Tombaugh. The vote effectively means the ninth planet will now be airbrushed out of school and university textbooks.