Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet by the IAU

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially reclassified Pluto, removing it from the list of major planets in the Solar System. Following a proposal by Uruguayan astronomers Julio Ángel Fernández and Gonzalo Tancredi, the IAU assembly unanimously approved the decision to categorize Pluto as a dwarf planet.

Pluto, discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, is located in the Kuiper Belt. Its reclassification was largely driven by its size, with a diameter of approximately 2,250 kilometers. Unlike the major planets that follow nearly circular orbits, Pluto maintains an elliptical path and an orbital inclination of 17 to 20 degrees relative to the plane of the other planets. It now shares the dwarf planet designation with other celestial objects such as Ceres, Makemake, and Eris.