The IAU (International Astronomical Union) has officially demoted Pluto to a new class: the Dwarf Planet. This means that under the classical definition of planet ratified at the meeting there are only 8 classical planets.
I am at odds about this. I say we start a petition to bring Pluto back. Anyone with me, comment on this blog and we will get this overruled. Come on people Pluto was not just any planet for most of you. It was your inner rouge.
This is not the usual planet, like Mars or Jupiter, that could go in any old elliptical orbit like all the others, but this was an eccentric planet. Willing to take risks. To think outside the box. To become the 8th planet at times and not always the 9th. What other planet can boast that. NONE I tell you, none. What planet could live in the realm of gaseous planets and still not be considered one of them, none other than our beloved Pluto. And now they go and try to take that away from us.
From this moment on, I am on strike of the planetary system set up by the world. Strike I tell you. STRIKE!!!!
Article Here
And note: The definition of a dwarf planet states that the dwarf planet "has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite."
Thursday, August 24, 2006
3 comments:
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Hey!
ReplyDeleteThey mean that most of the space surrounding a classical planet must be cleared as a result of the accretion events of the early solar system. Pluto is in the Kuiper Belt (literally smattered with debris that was not accreted into a planet. Essentially anything in Kuiper, Ort, or the Asteroid belt no longer (and correctly) qualifies as a planet.
As this was the only planet named by US scientists I am noticing a large number of US scientists complaining...what are they complaining about a US scientist discovered the only ratified dwarf planet.
Satelites orbit planets therefore cannot be planets, but have been entrained by gravity of the planet and are usually the only large objects near the planet...satisfying the definition. I will not sign you petition. Be proud of the dwarf planet Pluto...it is my favorite dwarf planet.
Well duh, I was being sarcastic at their vague use of terminology. And since there was a planet formerly in the asteroid belt I feel that that should be a planet in and of itself. We can call it ...? Well I will think of that later. To late now to think.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm sounding all teachery...but the theory that the asteroid belt was formerly a planet that exploded is now generally considered incorrect. The total mass of the asteroid belt is about 1/5 the mass of the moon. Debate could be had on whether it would be considered a planet under the new definition. The point is a nonstarter though. The currently accepted theory is that asteroids are the remains of material that was unable to form a planet due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter. Essentially asteroids are the battered remains (due to collisions with themselves)of the planetesimals that formed during the solar nebula.
ReplyDeleteI also need to clarify that the IAU has placed both 2003 UB313 and Ceres into the dwarf planet category, despite the fact that these were not included in the resolutions. I was therefore mistaken in saying that Pluto was the only dwarf planet...but it is still the most awesome (at least until they give UB313 a real name).