Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand Pluto in 2008

Finder chart for Pluto during 2008. Chart showing path of Pluto in 2008.

Positions Pluto in 2008.

Pluto was originally thought of as the smallest, and usually the outermost, of the major planets. With the discovery beyond Neptune of a number of other objects of the same sort of size, opinion swung to thinking of it as one of the larger Kuiper belt objects. Some of these, like Pluto, have a period in the raio 3:2 with Neptune.

At the August IAU meeting in Prague it was decided to reclassify the larger of these object, including Pluto, as Dwarf Planets. Whether the name will stick remains to be seen.

In 2008, Pluto's apparent path be just inside Sagittarius in its northwest corner close to Serpens and Ophiuchus. During 2008 Pluto will be remain in a lobe of the Milky Way with numerous background stars of a similar magnitude to the planet. This is likely to make its detection more difficult.

At present, Pluto has a magnitude about 14, so is likely to need a telescope aperture of at least 25 cm to see. Keen eyed observers viewing under good conditions from a dark site may be able to spot the planet with a smaller telescope. The planet is at opposition on June 20. Thus May, June and July will be the best time for attempting to view it. It is in conjunction with the Sun on December 22, so starts and ends the year too close to the Sun to observe.

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