"Pluto's Planetary Debate and the Quest for Extraterrestrial Insights"
At the 37th Chaos Communication Congress, Michael Büker gave a talk on the history of our understanding of planets, highlighting the fluidity of the term "planet" throughout history. Initially, the Sun and Moon were considered planets, and later asteroids like Ceres and Vesta were included, leading to a list of over 1,200 celestial bodies. The concept of nine planets was a short-lived modern idea, and the debate over Pluto's status illustrates the challenges of classifying the diverse bodies in our solar system. Büker suggests that the distinction between what is and isn't a planet is more about human perception and classification than the celestial bodies themselves.