Pluto, once considered a planet in its own right, has been reclassified as a dwarf planet. This leaves it in the company of other small bodies in our solar system, such as Eris and Ceres. The decision to reclassify Pluto was based on whether or not it shares characteristics with other icy bodies like those found around Jupiter and Neptune, rather than due to any perceived changes in the body itself. The classification is so important because it affects how scientists study objects that might be similar to Pluto's size.