Astronomers strip Pluto of its status as a planet

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Pluto was stripped of its status as a planet on Thursday when astronomers from around the world redefined it as a "dwarf planet," leaving just eight major planets in the solar system. TORONTO (Reuters) - Scientists may have demoted Pluto to the rank of a "dwarf planet" on Thursday but astrologers foretell no major changes in the way they read the heavens because of the move. CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Countdown clocks began ticking on Thursday for NASA's launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, which is due to blast off on Sunday on a mission to deliver and install power-generating solar arrays on the International Space Station.