Pluto was once celebrated as the ninth planet, but was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" in 2006. Pluto’s story has always been a little dramatic. Once proudly introduced in school textbooks as the ninth planet of our solar system, it was suddenly demoted in 2006 and labelled a “dwarf planet.” For nearly two decades, that decision has stuck. But now, the debate is heating up again and this time, even NASA’s chief seems ready to reopen the conversation. So yes, Pluto fans may have a reason to feel hopeful again. Keep on reading to know everything. During a recent testimony before the US Senate Committee, current NASA administrator Jared Isaacman made his stance pretty clear. “Senator, I am very much in the camp of ‘make Pluto a planet again.’” “We are doing some papers right now on, I think, a position that we would love to escalate through the scientific community to revisit this discussion.” That statement has sparked fresh excitement among astronomers and, of course, among people who never really accepted Pluto’s downgrade in the first place. Scientists Discover One Of The Youngest Fossils Of Ancient Sea Monster While NASA can influence the conversation, it doesn’t make the final call. That authority lies with the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the world’s largest professional body for astronomers. The organisation is responsible for naming and classifying celestial objects. So for now, NASA can only push for a review and encourage scientific discussion around the issue. Pluto was officially demoted in 2006 when the IAU introduced a new definition of what qualifies as a planet. To be called a planet, an object must meet three conditions: -It must be large enough for gravity to make it round Pluto checks the first two boxes. The problem lies with the third. Pluto shares its orbital path with other objects in the Kuiper Belt, meaning it hasn’t “cleared the neighbourhood” around it. Because of that, it was reclassified as a dwarf planet. Now that the debate is back after almost 20 years, the big question is whether the IAU will reconsider its decision. For now, nothing has officially changed. Pluto remains a dwarf planet. But with NASA’s top boss publicly backing its return, this old cosmic argument may be far from over. And honestly, Pluto probably enjoys the attention. Get Latest News live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Technology Science and around the world. Sparsh has been diving deep into the worlds of technology, science, and gaming for Times Network, bringing readers the latest updates and insights. Hi... View More