Transcripts

Last Word: Pluto Is Out As A Planet

SUSIE GHARIB: And finally tonight, for millions of Americans, say the word Pluto and we think of either the cartoon dog with the floppy ears or the last planet in the solar system. Now Pluto -- the planet, not the dog -- has been demoted. An international group of scientists voted today to strip Pluto of the planetary status it`s had since it was discovered back in 1930. The scientists say Pluto doesn`t meet the new, official definition of a planet because, technically, its orbit overlaps with Neptune`s. The move officially shrinks the size of our neighborhood, astronomically speaking, from nine to eight of what are called classical planets. Paul, Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet and experts say there could be dozens of them out there in our solar system.

KANGAS: Well, that certainly adds to the gravity of the situation, doesn`t it?

GHARIB: Yes, it does.