Instigator / Pro
4
1486
rating
10
debates
45.0%
won
Topic
#4643
Pluto is not a planet
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...
Bella3sp
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 2
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- One month
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
Contender / Con
7
1524
rating
53
debates
75.47%
won
Description
No information
Round 1
Claim
Pluto is not a planet
Evidence
For an object to be classified as a planet, it has to meet the three criteria of the IAU (International Astronomical Union):
1. It orbits the sun
2. It has enough mass to form a nearly round shape
3. It has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit (be big enough to be gravitationally dominant)
Although Pluto meets the first two criteria, it does not meet the third and so is therefore not a planet. It is instead classified as a dwarf planet.
The reason why Pluto was ever considered to be a full planet, is because before 2006, there was no working definition of "planet" due to lack of scientific knowledge.
Conclusion
Pluto is not a planet because it does not meet the three criteria of the IAU
Sources:
Point:
Case:
This one is short, I am just providing evidence that Pluto, no matter names, is a planet.
Burden
Burden is shared.
In order for me, con, to win, I just have to prove pluto is in fact a planet.
While pro has the objective to do the opposite; prove pluto is not a planet under any circumstance.
Contentions
I. Pluto is a dwarf planet
Now although Pluto is now the following:
"The International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to that of a dwarf planet because it did not meet the three criteria the IAU uses to define a full-sized planet. Essentially Pluto meets all the criteria except one—it “has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects.”
Pluto is a planet, just a dwarf planet. But does it matter if it's full sized or dwarfed? No. Because Pluto is still a planet.
This debate regards "is Pluto a planet" not:
- Is Pluto a full sized planet
Therefore, I have cleared my burden.
Rebuttals
For an object to be classified as a planet, it has to meet the three criteria of the IAU (International Astronomical Union):1. It orbits the sun2. It has enough mass to form a nearly round shape3. It has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit (be big enough to be gravitationally dominant)Although Pluto meets the first two criteria, it does not meet the third and so is therefore not a planet. It is instead classified as a dwarf planet.The reason why Pluto was ever considered to be a full planet, is because before 2006, there was no working definition of "planet" due to lack of scientific knowledge.
No need for rebuttals. Pro has proved my point already.
This debate is not about if pluto is a full-sized planet, but rather, is pluto a planet. So, regardless of if its dwarfed or full sized, pluto is a planet.
Pro has not cleared their burden, expect for furthering mine. In this case, pro would have to prove why pluto is first off, not a dwarf planet, and not a full sized planet.
Source:
Round 2
Sorry, I should have defined "planet" before we started the debate.
If I understand con's arguments correctly, they are saying that:
1. Pluto is a dwarf planet
2. A dwarf planet is a planet
3. Therefore, Pluto is a planet
However, the definition of a dwarf planet, according to Oxford Languages (https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en), is "a celestial body resembling a small planet but lacking certain technical criteria that are required for it to be classed as such."
According to this definition, a dwarf planet is not the same thing as a planet, and it does not follow through that Pluto is a planet.
This caught me off guard, but..
I challenge pro's definition of a dwarf planet.
According to NASA:
"April 22, 2015. According to the International Astronomical Union, which sets definitions for planetary science, a dwarf planet is a celestial body that -orbits the sun, has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a moon."
^^ All planets are celestial bodies.
If Pluto was not a planet, would it be called dwarf? No, it's called a dwarf planet.
We would categorize this into two different things, a planet has two different "settings":
- Dwarf planet
- Full-sized planet
As well as the fact that Pluto meets all the criteria for a planet, the majority, just classified as a dwarf planet because it only lacks one thing.
For example, humans sometimes have no arms, which the majority of people have, but they are still humans.
Well done R2. With a third round to flush out your points, you could have won this.