Secrets of the Solar System Season 1 Episode 7 Pluto

Secrets of the Solar System season 1 episode 7, titled Pluto, explores the icy dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system. Despite being downgraded from planet status in 2006, Pluto remains a fascinating and mysterious celestial object that is worth studying.

The episode delves into the history of how Pluto was discovered and named. The astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930 after a thorough search of the sky that had been prompted by the prediction of its existence by Percival Lowell. The planet was named by an eleven-year-old girl named Venetia Burney, who suggested the name Pluto after the Roman god of the underworld. The team of scientists and astronomers who worked on Pluto's discovery is also profiled, highlighting the painstaking observations and calculations required to find the distant planet.

The episode then discusses Pluto's physical characteristics and how it differs from other planets in the solar system. Despite being smaller than Earth's moon, Pluto has a complex surface with mountains, valleys, and even a heart-shaped feature. The dwarf planet's atmosphere is also unique, with traces of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. The episode explains how Pluto's distance from the sun and its small size have implications for its geological features and atmosphere.

The show also covers the controversy surrounding Pluto's status as a planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union redefined what constitutes a planet, leading to the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet. The episode explores the arguments for and against this decision, with some experts arguing that Pluto's uniqueness justifies its planetary status, while others maintain that it does not meet the criteria for a true planet.

The episode also discusses the New Horizons mission, which was launched in 2006 with the aim of studying Pluto up close. The mission took almost a decade to reach Pluto's orbit, and in 2015, it captured images and data from the dwarf planet. The show gives insight into the planning and execution of the mission, including the challenges of communicating with the spacecraft at such a great distance. The images and data gathered by New Horizons were groundbreaking, showing a complex, diverse, and active world that defied expectations.

Finally, the episode explores the implications of studying Pluto for further understanding our solar system's evolution and structure. By studying objects like Pluto, scientists hope to understand more about the origins and history of our solar system. The show highlights how research on Pluto can offer new insights into the Kuiper Belt, the region beyond Neptune where Pluto resides, as well as the Oort Cloud, where comets originate.

Overall, Secrets of the Solar System season 1 episode 7, Pluto, provides a fascinating look at one of the most intriguing and misunderstood objects in our solar system. The episode combines captivating visuals, interviews with experts, and historical context to offer a comprehensive and engaging overview of Pluto's discovery, features, and significance for scientific research.