The Demotion of Pluto to Dwarf Planet

There is some uncertainty about the exact time at which the IAU (International Astronomical Union) voted to downgrade Pluto to the status of “dwarf” planet.  The vote took place during the afternoon session of 24 August 2006 in Prague.

Maggie Hyde argued for 03:44:29 pm CEST (4:44:29 PM CEDT) as a time of the demotion of Pluto. Writing in the ISAR e-zine vol. 408, she notes that “A fascinating video of the IAU session which voted to demote Pluto is available online at: http://www.astronomy2006.com/media-stream-archive.php.”  She assumed that the start of the afternoon session began exactly on time and reported that if you fast-forward to 1:44:29 hours of the video, you come to the point where the Chair announces the motion carried on Resolution 6A concerning Pluto as a dwarf planet. This gives the demotion map a time of 03:44:29 pm CEST,  24 August 2006, Prague.  The problem with Maggie Hyde’s argument is that the afternoon session most likely did not begin on time. Have you ever attended a conference where meetings began precisely at the time indicated?

In fact, the science writer Robert Roy Britt published his “scoop” about the demotion of Pluto on space.com at exactly 9:35 AM EST (10:35 AM EDT) on 24 August 2006. The time in Prague at the moment of publication of this news scoop was 4:35 PM CEDT, almost a full 10 minutes before the time estimated by Maggie Hyde.  It appears from the content of the article that Mr. Britt was attending the IAU conference when he posted online at 4:35 PM CEDT that “Officially, Pluto is no longer a planet.”  Since he was writing a breaking news story, the vote must have just taken place, and it probably occurred no more than a few minutes earlier. Clearly the vote could not have occurred after the posting of his article.  Thus, Maggie Hyde’s estimate is at least 10 minutes after the fact.

Let’s assume that it took Robert Roy Britt about two minutes to post his breaking news online. This would make the time of Pluto’s demotion about 4:33 PM CEDT and no later than 4:35 PM when the news was posted.  Here is the chart for 4:33 PM CEDT, which is probably very close to the actual time of Pluto’s fall from grace.  It is a Jupiter day during a Sun hour.  The Sun in this chart rules the 8th house of death.

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It is striking that at the time of his undoing as a planet Pluto has just crossed the Ascendant and has entered the 12th house of sorrow, exile and endings.  Pluto is also in retrograde motion.

There is a strong 8th house emphasis, which probably signifies the death of the idea of Pluto as a full-fledged planet.  Mars, which rules the 4th house of one’s elders and foundations, applies to square Pluto from the 8th of death.  Pluto will no longer be accepted as a member of the family of “classical” 4th-house planets.

The 9th house represents science and higher learning.  With Virgo on the cusp, the 9th house is ruled by Mercury which applies closely to trine Pluto.  The scientists were focused passionately on Pluto in this meeting.  Interestingly, the Hellenistic Lot of Eros lies at 23 Leo 13, almost exactly conjunct Mercury at 23 Leo 36.  Apparently the scientists were deriving some sort of erotic pleasure in demoting Pluto from his planet-hood.  Or, to use the Freudian metaphor, the IAU astronomers were erotically engaged in castrating this planetary symbol of an ancient godhead.

Pluto may have the last laugh.  He is quite strong being conjunct the horizon.  Pluto is also disposed by the benefic Jupiter in the prominent 10th.  The phoenix rising from its ashes is often associated with Pluto’s planetary symbolism, so perhaps this chart also indicates that Pluto will rise again.

If anyone has evidence of an exact time of the vote to demote Pluto, please leave a comment in the space below.