Missing Pluto

[ice ax]

I am a new member and have what i believe would be a suitable question to this forum. I recently purchased a German made Kaiser "Universe" anniversary clock. It has 7 planet symbols depicted on the face and the Earth is the pendulum. There is no representation of Pluto anywhere on the clock. These clocks were made in the mid 1950's and Pluto was discovered and accepted as a planet in 1930. Does the fact it was manufactured in Germany explain the Pluto omission? and if so, why?

[Brian]

Hello and Welcome

I can't offer an explanation for Pluto's omission, maybe someone else can. However, I will suggest that the answer could just be "artistic licence",

regards

[ice ax]

Perhaps. It's not a particularly attractive face to begin with and would appear to have space for Pluto. I think I attached a photo. Thanks

[Brian]

I see these clocks are very popular and collectable.

Maybe the exclusion of Pluto is just a consequence of the planets size? At just 2376km it is only about 1/4 the size of Mars (6779km). Working from the diameter of the Mars symbol on the clock face I suspect that a circle to scale for Pluto would be too small to have a symbol included, so it was simply left out?

regards,

[Eva Braun]

Perhaps this is a design trick because Pluto is so small and a designer lets you find it on your own.

[RMSteele]

I think its sour grapes Eva. Uranus was discovered by a German, and Neptune was discovered at the Berlin observatory, but pluto was discovered by americans. Bob

[brian livesey]

The clock mimics an antique one. It was much later in the 1930s that Pluto was discovered, so, in this respect, the clock is faithful to the period it represents.