On October 28th at 6 p.m., Bookmans in Flagstaff will host MSNBC Science Editor Alan Boyle, winner of countless journalism awards, for an informative presentation of the points in his new book The Case for Pluto. Pluto, once a planet, was demoted to a dwarf in 2006 based on decisions made by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), whose job it is to categorize mother nature’s chaos.

Apparently, it has been a controversial call, and there are folks, like Mr. Boyle, who claim that Pluto, once named after the god of the underworld, should be restored to it’s rightful place in the cosmic pantheon. There are a number of scientists who think any object big enough for its own gravity to make it into a round shape should be called a planet, to put it simply.

Pluto also has a lot of local history, since it was Percival Lowell who first hypothesized that Pluto might exist. He never saw the planet before his death, but Clyde Tombaugh located it one day in 1930, with help from photographs taken at Flagstaff’s own Lowell Observatory.

Also, if you’re a Scorpio, you know Pluto rules your sign and you might want to stick up for the rocky little guy. But we should stop there, since we wouldn’t want to confuse our astrology with our astronomy!

Regardless, this should be an interesting and informative evening with a journalist who’s well-recognized in his field. Laypeople and scientists alike should come out the last Wednesday evening in October. And if you ever feel like you’ve been “plutoed” yourself, particularly in this rough economy, we bet you’ll have some sympathy for poor Pluto.

Come see us at Bookmans Flagstaff, October 28th at 6 p.m. Reading and refreshments will be free, and Boyle’s book will be available for sale!