MARK MY WORD: ASTRONOMY HAS GONE TO THE DOGS OVER PLUTO

We all know that the world has gone to the dogs. But now scientists at one of the nation's leading science museums that you never heard of are suggesting that Pluto isn't a planet at all, but just a lump of space ice.

The latest revelation comes from the Rose Center for Earth and Science, which opened last year in New York.

The folks at Disney must be howling over this attack. Everyone knows the planet's named after Pluto, that lovable cartoon dog.

No one would have named a bunch of galactic ice cubes after a Disney character.

Still, those New York scientists won't accept film facts. They say Pluto is part of the World Wrestling Federation belt of comets.

"There is no scientific insight to be gained by counting planets." says Neil de Grasse Tyson, director of the Rose Center's Hayden Planetarium. "Eight or nine, the numbers don't matter."

This is good news for all those failed science majors who really don't want to have to keep track of so many planets.

But many astronomers are universally upset over the latest attack on Pluto, although they concede that Pluto has always been different. Being good scientists, they know this because they've watched numerous Disney cartoons.

Pluto is only 1,413 miles wide, smaller than the Earth's moon and the defensive line of the Baltimore Ravens.

Some scientists apparently never saw those Disney cartoons. They say the obscure planet was named after the Greek and Roman god of the lower world, who never made it to the universe's penthouse.

Pluto can't be seen without a telescope. It was discovered in 1930 by using mathematics, which explains why most Americans have never seen the place.

Since 1992, astronomers have uncovered hundreds of chunks of rock and ice beyond Neptune, including about 70 that share orbits and cartoon clothes similar to Pluto's.

So far, none of those objects have gravitated to our home, as far as we can tell.

But I wouldn't be surprised if one day we find some galactic stuff in Bailey's room. Our 5-year-old has plenty of toys orbiting her room. Actually, most of them seem permanently anchored to the carpet.

You need a telescope to find your way through all the stuff. Still, it's not the Milky Way. That's Becca's department. Our 8-year-old survives on chocolate milk.

She has a room of her own, but prefers to leave her clothes in Bailey's room, which only adds to the carpet chaos, sending Joni and I into orbit.

So far, we haven't found Pluto on any of our orbits. But then we're not in the habit of reaching for the stars, unless, of course, they've been drawn by our children.

Besides, scientists say Pluto isn't an inviting place. And, unless you're a kid, neither is Bailey's room. But at least Bailey's room has its share of toys.

Pluto doesn't have an electric blanket. It's pretty much of a cold storage place. Still, a lot of scientists aren't ready to dismiss it as a bunch of galactic ice cubes.

So far, Mickey Mouse has remained silent on the controversy, but it's clear that eventually the big mouse will have to take a stand. I just hope he doesn't dog it.