Pluto is not a dog

[DonPMitchell]

This claims to settle the long-running rumor that the planet Pluto was named after the Disney character.  The name was proposed by a young girl, but Disney named the cartoon character (that same year) after the planet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4596246.stm

[snake river rufus]

I have read that the letters 'P' and 'L' were used for Percival Lowell who predicted that there must be a planet at that spot. That has always made more sense to me than naming it after Walt's dog.

[DonPMitchell]

I think Pluto was discovered by blinking plates.  It's not massive enough to perturb Neptune.

Neptune however was discovered by pure mathematics, based on the perturbation of the orbit of Uranus.  That was really an astounding accomplishment back in those days, using only hand calculation.  Newton would have been proud!

[Bob B.]

I think Pluto was discovered by blinking plates. It's not massive enough to perturb Neptune.

Pluto clearly was not the perturbing body Lowell had predicted, however it was coincidentally discovered very close to Lowell's calculated position.  It was believed for a short time that perhaps Pluto was Lowell's Planet-X, but it was soon realized it was far too small.