Pluto: Who Am I? by Kyle Moore
I am a planet in your solar system, most people that know about me call me Pluto! There's still so much more!
Percival Lowell did a great job exploring the area I am in from 1905 thru 1915. He sadly died before I was found. I was just right there, too!
Percival left lots of information when he died. A very smart man (my friend) Clyde W. Tombaugh finally found and photographed me! It took him only one year with all of Percival's research. It was 1930.
I was then named by an eleven year old English girl named Venita Burney Phair. Not only did I get named after the god of the underworld, it just so happened that the initials of Percival Lowell (P. L.) are the first two letters in my name- Pluto! What a smart little girl! Wasn't that cool of her? I wonder if she knew?
I feel old. One year on me drags on forever! It's just about 248 years for you Earthlings. It takes seventeen minuets, nine hours, AND 248.6 years for me to orbit the sun. You think you're tired. Now that's a long time!
I am 1500 miles in diameter, pretty big for my small size huh? Not all people think that. Us tiny guys get underrated! Even today, scientists, no matter how smart, have had to estimate my size because I'm so very far away. It gets lonely.
I am, hopefully always will be, the ninth planet. Some scientists seem to think I might not be, though. There seems to be a new discovery of a so-called Planet X. If he's really out there past me he's not been very friendly-1 haven't even spoken to him once in all these millions of years. I know the solar system is big, but if Mr. Planet X is my neighbor- this is ridiculous! I don't think like him one bit!
I have no beautiful rings to show off, unlike Saturn, she has lots of them floating around. Then again, I've never been married! I prefer my life of solitude.
Out here there's no heater- the weather gets very unpredictable- mostly freezing cold. (Maybe that's why I'm still unhitched!) My temperature can get as low as -335 degrees Fahrenheit. You Earthlings think your arctic gets cold. My atmosphere is made up of methane gasses, making it impossible to entertain company.
I don't know why the other planets make fun! Maybe because of my color and size. The other planets have all kinds of colors and are big. I'm mostly brown, and tiny-five times smaller than Earth. Look at Jupiter- he's huge, brown with a beautiful bright red orange spot and swirls. What a showoff! Then again, maybe if I had some of those rings...
No matter what though, I think that I am unique in my own ways, they just have to be discovered. You Earthlings need to get on it a little more! I remain here today a great mystery to all those in the solar system. What will you do to help discover more about me?
Bibliography
Student Hand book edition 5
First Published 1995 copyright Larousse place
Published 2005 by The Southwestern Company Inc.
Student Hand book edition 1
First Published 1995 copyright Larousse place
Published 2005 by The Southwestern Company Inc.
http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/pluto worldbook.html