Last Updated: 11 September 2026

Are you a “splitter” (Pluto isn’t a planet)? Or are you a “lumper” (Pluto is a planet)?

What if there’s another way to look at the solar system? One that properly distinguishes among all the different types of planets we have in the solar system, recognizes their different formation histories, and is a more accurate model to compare to the thousands of other planetary systems we’re discovering?

In this talk we look at the history of Pluto from its discovery to its 2006 “demotion” by the International Astronomical Union, and step back to look at the solar system as a whole: what role does Pluto and other dwarf planets play? And if we stick to just the eight “major” planets, are we overlooking entire parts of the solar system?