New Mexico to declare Pluto as a planet

Sometimes one reads news that brings a smile to one's face. A few months back, the International Astronomical Union declared that Pluto essentially does not fit the definition of a planet, and hence should no longer be called a planet.

Now, apparently the state of New Mexico in the United States feels that there are not too many pressing things before the legislature, and is going to introduce a bill for reversing this declaration. State lawmakers will vote Tuesday on a bill that proposes "as Pluto passes overhead through New Mexico's excellent night skies, it be declared a planet." Read more about this story here.

One factor that is important for this proposed law is that the discoverer of Pluto hails from New Mexico. One would have expected scientists to react with some humour at this news, but actually they welcome anything that will bring astronomy into the public eye.