We Still Love You, Pluto

Many of us nerds grew up absolutely enthralled by science and space exploration. One of the first things we learned was that there were 9 planets. I was even taught a little mnemonic device to memorize them that goes like this: My (Mercury) Very (Venus) Eager (Earth) Mother (Mars) Just (Jupiter) Served (Saturn) Us (Uranus) Pies (Pluto). We held this cherished belief to be true until our worlds came crashing down on us in 2006 when the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto as a planet and classified it as a "dwarf planet".

Today marks that fateful day 11 years ago when Pluto was demoted. And while some of us may still be sad that Pluto is no longer technically a planet, it doesn't mean we can't appreciate the wonder and fascination of our little friend. Although down-graded, Pluto is still as interesting as ever. Below is an infographic from Forbes that gives us 9 Pluto facts!

So take this day to remember Pluto. The planet that was. And also take a moment to recognize all of the amazing scientists who make discoveries like this possible!