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Pluto becomes one less planet to memorize

Posted on: Thursday, 24 August 2006, 15:47 CDT

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pluto's lost status disappointed some schoolchildren and had space museum curators scrambling but in the words of one teenager, "It's one less planet to memorize."

Quinn Huebner, 15, was visiting the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum on Thursday when he and his family from Mazomanie, Wisconsin, learned international astronomers had decided Pluto was no longer a planet.

His sister Grace, 11, also voiced relief. Had Pluto remained a planet, at least three similar objects could have been upgraded and "that would mean there would be more planets to memorize," she said.

James Zimbelman, curator of the museum's "Explore the Planets" exhibit, said children often inquired about what had been the solar system's smallest planet. He said he could accept the change.

"I can live with it," he said as he stood in the now outdated exhibit. For now, some labels would be added to acknowledge Pluto's demotion, he said.

Other young visitors did their best to cope with the demotion.

"Seriously! Pluto is not a planet?" asked Michael O'Sullivan, 11, of Garden City, N.Y.

After a moment of thinking, he added: "At least Pluto the dog doesn't have to compete with the planet anymore," referring to the Disney cartoon character named after the planet.

Walt Disney Co spokesman Donn Walker said "Pluto is taking this news in stride, and we have no reason to believe he might bite an astronomer."

Ethan Olson, an eighth-grade student from Canfield, Ohio, said he was disappointed by the decision.

"It's big enough to be one, I guess," he said.

The museum will decide later how to rearrange the exhibit and what to do about its most important feature, "The Family of the Sun" song.

Sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell" the song was designed to help young children learn about and memorize the names of the nine planets.

After watching the show, three-year-old Tyler Roonprapunt of New York could only smile and ask "Why?" when his mom told him he now would have to learn a new song.

Source: REUTERS

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