Pluto no longer a planet? WT...?

[Baak]

Was reading today that the IAU has voted to demote Pluto to a new "Dwarf Planet" status.

Good grief.

I was looking forward to them boldly deciding to embrace the new outer solar system objects as planets in an expansive and forward-looking approach. Wouldn't it have been neat to have textbooks with the planet Orcus and Sedna? 24 planets and counting! Now astronomers can look forward to discovering "dwarf planets" instead. Yawn. Oh, and we now have only 8 planets...

"Dwarf Planet"?!?

Even their definition for this boring new term is "sloppy", as a high-ranking NASA official has said. Not only that, why the heck didn't they use the term "pluton" if they felt they just had to do this? At least this would have given Pluto the historical respect it deserves.

Anyway, I know this ranks low on the list of world events, but as a near-life-long amateur astronomer I find this amazingly disappointing.

[Pyro]

Well I'm glad we won't have 24 planets and counting... I mean look at those rocks... oh so tiny compared to small planets... they should be giant asteriods. But I agree about the pluton idea... but isn't a dwarf planet still a planet... in terms of grammar I guess. Oh look its a planet... a dwarf one. I'm more interested in what the planets we do have look up close. I've always had an interest in astronomy. While I don't actually research it unless something sparked my interest. I always pay attention when the news mentions something about space/astronomy. And one more thing, wasn't Pluto's orbit distinctly different from the other planets different. (well not other planets... more like the planets) As far as I recall, Pluto takes about 285 (Earth) years to take one full circle (1 Pluto year) around the sun.

[Baak]

Well I'm glad we won't have 24 planets and counting... I mean look at those rocks... oh so tiny compared to small planets... they should be giant asteriods. But I agree about the pluton idea... but isn't a dwarf planet still a planet... in terms of grammar I guess. Oh look its a planet... a dwarf one. I'm more interested in what the planets we do have look up close. I've always had an interest in astronomy. While I don't actually research it unless something sparked my interest. I always pay attention when the news mentions something about space/astronomy. And one more thing, wasn't Pluto's orbit distinctly different from the other planets different. (well not other planets... more like the planets) As far as I recall, Pluto takes about 285 (Earth) years to take one full circle (1 Pluto year) around the sun.

Yes, Pluto's orbit is very eccentric - it's "tilted" with respect to the classical planets and much more elliptical. In fact, it crosses "inside" of Neptune's orbit (I believe it was this way roughly between 1989 and 1998). So I agree that it probably shouldn't be called a planet.

My two biggest gripes are the term "dwarf planet" - it's just so frickin' dull - and the somewhat clumsy definition they came up with to exclude Pluto from the list. They're smart people for crying out loud!

I'd be happy if they named them plutons. What a cool word.


Oh, and here's a quip on Sedna you might like. I thought the "postcard from Sedna" (my term) was kinda neat, too.

[The Elfoid_TFS]

I don't think it matters. As long as Pluto doesn't take it personally and cry of course.

[vinylrake]

I heard some news commentary on the Pluto issue yesterday and someone proposed they call the Dwarf Planets; "Planettes" which I kind of liked but I guess it would be tough to tell the difference when spoken.

The other comment I liked was from a listener who said he loved Gustav Holst's Planets Suite but it always felt incomplete because it didn't have a theme for Pluto (since it was discovered after Holst wrote the suite) but now he was happy he could listen to it and feel like it was a complete piece reflecting our entire solar system.

ps. interesting time for this decision, just the other day two of my kids were discussing whether there were 9 or 10 planets in the solar system - I will be happy to tell them that neither of them are right because then we can avoid the "nyaaah nyaaah you didn't know how many planets are in the soloar system" jibes the one who had the right # would have undoubtedly sent in the other's direction.

[Baak]

lol


I think if they called them plutons, people would know generally what they were talking about (smallish, cold, isolated little worlds, etc.).

What happens if (when?) they find another object out there that happens to be bigger than Mercury? "Dwarf planet" will seem silly. I think what bothers me about this term is it includes a pre-supposed size. I'd love it if they found some behemoth that had a 60-million year orbit or something.

Pluton is such a cool word!

[Baak]

Seems there's a little backlash...

According to this article, the voting was hijacked, is not done electronically (i.e. you have to physically be there to vote!), and amounted to 4% of the world's astronomers!

Wow. I'm glad these people aren't in charge of our nuclear weapons.

[vinylrake]

I think if they called them plutons, people would know generally what they were talking about (smallish, cold, isolated little worlds, etc.).

I think one of my exes fits the scientific criteria of a 'pluton'.

[Baak]

I think one of my exes fits the scientific criteria of a 'pluton'.

lol!



Not to beat a dead horse, but I saw where a professor was noting how awkward the new term "dwarf planet" is, based on the fact that they say:

"a dwarf planet is not a planet"

Yeah, that sure sounds scientific - and will undoubtedly have teachers cringing for centuries...

Why didn't they go with "major planets" and "minor planets"? That way they're both still planets (which means "wanderer" - they're behavior in the sky), yet different.

:: Sigh ::

[Baak]

I'm sure the rest of you will be as surprised as I am to find out that Pluto is actually a giant Disco Ball!


Seriously though, if you're interested check out the Petition Protesting the IAU Planet Definition (the Press Release is interesting imo) and the fact that the IAU can't even meet again to discuss the issue until 2009! WT? These folks are seriously stuck in the 19th Century!