Arizona has declared Pluto its “official state planet” — despite it being relegated to “dwarf planet” status nearly two decades ago.
Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation on Friday and afterward dodged a question about whether or not Pluto is a full-fledged planet, The Arizona Daily Star reported.
“I am proud of Arizona’s pioneering work in space discovery,” Hobbs said.
Pluto was discovered in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 at the Lowell Observatory, according to the paper.
It’s the only planet to be discovered in the United States.
“The whole story of Clyde is just amazing, just sitting there under the telescope’’ looking for planets by taking photos over a period of time,” said Arizona state Rep. Justin Wilmeth (R-Phoenix), a self-described “history nerd” who applauded the Pluto legislation.
The International Astronomical Union voted in 2006 to strip Pluto of its official status as a planet, determining the icy object at the edge of the solar system did not meet the full definition of such.
Instead, Pluto was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” because it has not “cleared its neighboring region of other objects” like asteroids and other space rocks over time like other planets due to its low gravitational pull, according to the IAU.
Wilmeth said he doesn’t care.
“It might matter to some that are going to get picky or persnickety about stuff,’’ the Republican told The Daily Star.
Others were less enthused about naming a dwarf planet the Arizona’s official state planet.
“Scientifically, they took it out of being a planet,’’ said Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (D-Tucson), one of five senators who voted against the measure.
Gonzalez said she believes lawmakers should always consider scientific information, “something that we as a Legislature, as a body, sometimes omit.’’
