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If you were born before the early 2000s, it’s likely you were taught about the nine planets in our solar system - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

But in 2006, textbooks around the world had to be re-written, after scientists voted to reclassify Pluto as a ‘dwarf planet.’

Now, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has revealed that he believes Pluto should be classified as a planet after all.

Speaking at a FIRST Robotics event, Mr Bridenstine said: “Just so you know, in my view, Pluto is a planet.

“You can write that the NASA administrator declared Pluto a planet once again. I’m sticking by that, it’s the way I learned it and I’m committed to it.”

From its discovery in 1930 all the way until 2006, Pluto was classified as a planet.

However, Pluto was always considered a bit of an oddball, due to its rather strange orbit, which was far from circular.

(Image: REUTERS)

In 1992, scientists started to discover objects in the Kuiper Belt, many of which were small and cold, much like Pluto.

Then, in 2005, astronomers discovered Eris, a body that was even larger than Pluto, raising questions about whether Eris was also a planet, or if Pluto wasn’t one after all.

Speaking to space.com back in 2005, Brian Marsden, a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) who was tasked with deciding Pluto’s fate, said: “Every time we think some of us are reaching a consensus, then somebody says something to show very clearly that we're not.”

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Finally, after over a year of debate, the decision was made to re-classify Pluto as a dwarf planet, due to new rules that said planets must ‘clear the neighbourhood around its orbit.’

Since Pluto’s orbit is oblong and overlaps that of Neptune, it was disqualified as a planet.