The International Astronomical Union defines a planet as a celestial body that orbits the sun, is massive enough that gravity has forced it into a spherical shape, and has cleared away other objects ...

In our solar system, objects are close enough that we can check the orbit and see if has been cleared of other objects. This is problematic if we can only infer rough properties of what could be a ...

The proposal refines current definitions that require planets to be round bodies which orbit our sun and have ‘cleared’ their neighbourhoods Planetary scientists are proposing a new definition for ...

Planetary scientists are proposing a new definition of a planet to replace one that many researchers view as sun-centric and outdated. The current definition—established in 2006 by the International ...