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Pluto forever
How can the astronomers do this to us?
For 75 years we were made to believe that Pluto is the ninth, if farthest, planet in the universe. When Clyde Tombaugh announced the news in 1930, he gave us a new vision of the universe. He rewrote our Science textbook.
In our Science class, we proudly raised our hands when asked about the number of planets. On our test papers, we were quick to identify Pluto as the smallest.
Turned out we were wrong. Turned out we never scored excellent in our Science quizzes. One wrong answer meant one point less from excellence. And we thought we were perfect.
And now the International Astronomical Union has ruled at its convention that Pluto does not meet the definition of a planet. From now on, Pluto shall be known as a "dwarf planet," according to the small-minded astronomers.
Of course we don’t recall the songwriters mentioning Pluto or lovers pining about Tombaugh’s planet. Planet Earth is a winner. Venus, Jupiter and Mars are often mentioned. Never mind Uranus.
We’re taking Pluto’s demotion with a heavy heart. It’s like losing a relative. It will take another 75 years to live down fond memories. Next time the International Astronomical Union meets, we hope a meteor hits the convention site.
We hope the astronomers do not reclassify Earth. It is not your usual planet. It’s a very violent place, plagued by wars, pestilence, diseases, hate and natural disasters. It is full of people who love to destroy each other, their environment, their civilization, including the entire world.
If we do not watch out, Earth could follow the example of our second favorite planet, Krypton.
ps: Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe. No longer in existence, it is the native world of the superheroes Superman and Supergirl, which exploded as a result of highly unstable geological conditions.
to be continue~
