In space, objects tend to conform to one of five shapes: (clockwise from left) spheres, dust, potatoes, halos and disks. Credit: Lineweaver, Norman and ChopraFrom Astrobiology Magazine:
When Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was considered to be the ninth planet of our solar system. Since that time, astronomers have discovered similar icy objects in that far-distant orbital region of the Sun known as the Kuiper belt. Many astronomers questioned whether Pluto should be grouped with worlds like Earth and Jupiter, and in 2006 this debate led the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the recognized authority in naming heavenly objects, to formally re-classify Pluto as a dwarf planet.
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