Why can we see “earth like” planets that are light years away but still debate how many planets are in our own solar system?
In: Technology
Your question is based on a faulty premise becaue we *don’t* debate how many planets are in our own solar system.
We debate what the *definition* of a planet is. As the definition evolved what “counts” as a planet changes.
Presumably you’re referring to Pluto. For many years, we considered it a planet, until astronomers and astrophysicists got more precise with their definition of a planet. With the more narrow definition, Pluto no longer fit the definition of a planet, so it was recategorized as a dwarf planet.
None of that has anything at all to do with being able to detect planets around other stars.
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