Question

According to the definition of a planet, which of the following is expressly critical for being considered a true planet in our solar system?

O It has not cleared out its immediate neighborhood of smaller objects through gravity
O It is too small to have a spherical shape
O It has too eccentric of an orbit
O It is too far away from the Sun
O It is smaller than some other Kuiper Belt Objects which are considered planets

Answer 1

A true planet must have cleared its orbital neighborhood of smaller objects through gravity, which is the main reason Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

option 1 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The critical factor for a celestial body to be considered a true planet in our solar system, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), is that it has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. This means that the body has become gravitationally dominant, and there are no other bodies of comparable size other than its own satellites or those otherwise under its gravitational influence, in its vicinity in space.

Another key criterion is that the body has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium, which typically manifests in a nearly round shape. However, this attribute alone without clearing the orbital neighborhood results in the designation of a dwarf planet, as was the case with Pluto after the 2006 IAU decision.

The option that it has not cleared out its immediate neighborhood of smaller objects through gravity is the correct option for a body to not be considered a true planet.

option 1 is correct.