The Wire

We now officially have eight planets in our Solar System after Pluto was given the flick at a meeting of the International Astronomical in Prague this week. Pluto has been downgraded to what is called a dwarf planet, joining other recently discovered dwarf planets such as Xena and Ceres. For Astronomers around the world this is news that has been a long time in coming, but for most of us who have grown up knowing that there are nine planets in the Solar System it may come as a bit of a shock.