Is there enough evidence to support the idea that Pluto is not a planet?

Answer 1

That's a difficult question to answer, just because of how it's phrased. It is a common misconception that Pluto is no longer considered a planet. This idea is silly, though. Pluto is very obviously a planet. It is, however, considered a minor planet, rather than a major one, because it does not match defining qualifications to be a major planet. The reason it was not originally classified as a minor planet is that technology simply wasn't sharp enough to give us a good look at it. Pluto remained something of an enigma, with its highly elliptical orbit and elusive features. We just didn't know how to classify Pluto. As technology has progressed, we have been able to identify that Pluto is just too small to be considered a major planet. It is instead considered to be a dwarf planet, a category not even recognized at the time of Pluto's discovery. If we were to consider Pluto a major planet, we would also have to consider Ceres, Eris, and Makemake major planets. To synopsize your answer, no, there is not enough evidence to support the idea that Pluto is not a planet. Mainstream science doesn't consider Pluto to not be a planet. Popular culture captured Pluto's changed classification and incorporated it into mythology.