How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming Book Blog Post #2

Before I began reading How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, I truthfully had low expectations. I figured this book would contain very scientific concepts that would ultimately go directly over my head. However, my assumptions were quickly proven to be wrong in chapter one. So far, this book has given relatable insight into the life of an astronomer and has clearly explained difficult aspects of space I have never before thought about.

Mike Brown immediately established himself as a character I can relate to by talking about his obsession with Jupiter and how it constantly consumed his thoughts. Although not nearly as complex, I always seem to get distracted by different situations I come across at work that extend far into afterhours. Through this, he showed me why he would ultimately become consumed with the idea of the possibility of planets existing past Pluto in the Kuiper belt. I found it interesting how Brown set the stage for his revolutionizing discovery off of a simple hunch he had one night in a closed telescope dome. I liked how he acknowledged that he defied typical scientific processes by believing in his hunch rather than facts.

In Chapter two, Brown begins to recap the history of studying planets and how it still impacts the world today. For example, he explains how each day of the week is named after the planets and how those in pre-electric and pre-urban worlds were able to track the times of months and years off of the movement of the sun and moon. Through this, he lays the foundation for why any changes to our perception of our solar system have significance.

I find his story about the introduction of the theory about the sun being the center of the universe and not the earth to be foreshadowing to the events that will take place in the rest of this book. Many people get caught in the trap of thinking close minded and based on only what we know now. This story shows that although it is shocking, new discoveries can change our entire perception of the space around us. I also find this relatable on a much smaller scale. I know the feeling of having an incredibly unpopular opinion and ostracized by others because of it - even if I might be right.

I am very excited to continue reading this book. I remember distinctively when it came out that Pluto was no longer a planet. I am looking forward to hearing the perspective of the man who killed Pluto. I appreciate how this book is so informative but also keeps my attention. I am looking forward to diving deeper into Brown’s incredible story of scientific discovery and the drama associated with it.