Pluto is only about 2/3 the size of our own moon and is mostly ice - If it was orbiting earth it would mostly evaporate into space. Why did it take so long to categorize it as a minor planet when 7 moons in the solar system bigger than it is?
by 
JD-ColoradoSprings
ANSWERS: 4
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I think beacuse those moons are actual satellites orbiting those planets. Pluto orbited the sun without orbiting another planet. The debate about Pluto still goes on, I guess: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/110503 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/172987 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/176508
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Planet categories are definatly a matter where size isn't everything... Ganymede and Titan are both even bigger than Mercury, and Callisto isn't much smaller :)
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If you want a good article that explains the evolution of the definition of a planet, then I would recommend What Is a Planet?, Scientific American, January 2007 (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=93385350-E7F2-99DF-3FD6272BB4959038).
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First, yes , it would probably evaporate if it was as close to the sun as we are. Second, when Pluto was first discovered, there was not much technology. Today, we have a plethora of tools we use on a daily basis to see outer space. When the time came, the decision to make Pluto a Plutoid was made.
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