By Ethan Faverino |
A 10-year-old girl’s heartfelt plea to restore Pluto’s status as a full planet has gone viral, drawing responses from NASA leadership and highlighting Arizona’s deep connection.
Mike’s Weather Page shared the story on X, saying, “Dear @NASA. From 10-year-old Kaela. She is mailing to you today. Too cute not to post. She and her family are friends of ours. #bringplutoback”
In her handwritten letter, Kaela wrote:
“Dear N.A.S.A… Please make Pluto a planet again. I really want it to be a planet again. Here are some reasons that Pluto should be a planet again:
- It is part of our solar system and used to be a planet.
- It is a dwarf planet and deserves to be an actual planet
- It might make a lot of people happy.”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman responded directly to the tweet, saying: “Kaela – we are looking into this.”
The office of Congressman Abraham Hamadeh also chimed in, stating: “Kaela – Congressman Hamadeh Agrees! He recently sent a letter to President Trump asking for the same thing. It’s time Arizona’s Planet was rightfully classified.”
Pluto holds special significance in Arizona. It was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory. The story of that discovery impressed state Rep. Justin Wilmeth (R-LD2) enough that he introduced legislation in 2024 designating Pluto as Arizona’s official state planet.
House Bill 2477, signed into law on March 29, 2024, simply states “Pluto is the official state planet,” making Arizona the only state to claim an official state planet.
Arizona’s designation celebrates the state’s rich astronomy heritage. Flagstaff became the first designated International Dark Sky City in 2001, preserving pristine night skies ideal for observation. The area also boasts a strong lunar legacy: every astronaut who walked on the moon trained in Flagstaff, using sites like Meteor Crater, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, and Grand Canyon National Park.
“It might not be your choice, but if it is, please, please, please make it a planet, added Kaela. “It would make me very, very, very happy. If you can’t make it an actual planet, please consider it a planet.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
