The solar system is there for us and anyone else out there. We cannot most likely change it the way it works. There are 8, 9 planets or 10 it reallydoes not matter. The thing most important to us and everybody else is how it works, how they behave(properties). The existence of the Pluto is universal, whereas our classification is not. But for the sake of the argument, i've the following: I think Pluto is a well qualified, well-formed solid planet, full with its moon. The Venus is a planet, without any moon but larger than the Pluto. If someone can claim it to be a planet if it had been just after the Venus, then it has to be a planet when a billion miles away, as long as it is spherical, has a moon and goes round the Sun in its 12-year orbit, all the time and every time. One crucial test to prove it is a planet is to discover the magnetic field in it and the existence of plutoquakes; our own Moon does not have an atmosphere, so there is no question there will be one in the Pluto. Others are that of lakes, ice, iceberg, gold, diamond, iron, etc. I'm sure you can see phases of the Charon from the Pluto there. If the Charon is synchronously locked to the Pluto, then the Pluto is definitely a planet. At the end of the day, the astronomers need to look at the Pluto as it is in the Universe rather than in terms of artificial nomenclatures and classifications. Any other approaches are not any more helpful. ----------- Nepto is fine with me. I just need to confirm my planet; I need more time.