Leading Scientists and Astronomers from around the world participating in the International Astronomers Union General Assembly discussing the definition of planets have decided to downgrade Pluto's status to leave just eight classical planets.
The decision comes amid a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when the group's leaders floated a proposal that would have reaffirmed Pluto's planetary status and made planets of its largest moon and two other objects.
According to the new definition for a body to be termed as a planet is that the celestial body that is in orbit around the sun must have sufficient mass for its self gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a nearly round shape, and clears the neighborhood around its orbit.
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