What is the current status of Pluto?

Pluto is now classified as a dwarf planet. The main difference between a planet and a dwarf planet has to do with the requirement that a planet clear out the material in and near its orbit. Planets do this, dwarf planets do not.

The reclassification was triggered by the discovery of many additional object (the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt) out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Some of the objects are nearly as big as (and is a few cases, possibly bigger than) Pluto and in very similar orbits. Thus it was realized that Pluto was just the largest of a large number of objects in the outer solar system.

This is simply science at work. At the local university, we have an Astronomy textbook from the 1800's that lists the 12 planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. However, as more objects were detected between Mars and Jupiter, it was realized this was a new class of object and the middle four were downgraded from planet status to asteroids. It is the same process at work today out in the outer solar system.


Pluto is still considered a dwarf planet. This was because it did not meet the full criteria for being classified as a planet. Most notably it did not clear its orbit of other debris.

This is still considered controversial as many scientist do not agree with the definition of what a planet is and still consider Pluto to meet planet criteria. So it is possible that this may change especially if the criteria for what is a planet changes due to new discoveries. This is very possible with the work the Kepler telescope is producing. As we discover new planets in large numbers you can be sure they will be finding ever different planets that will force a redefinition of what a planet is.


As many already said, Pluto is now considered a "dwarf planet"

For your second question, there is no chance that Pluto will be reclassified as a planet again.