Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine We've lost Pluto!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060824/ap_on_sc/planet_mutiny_9

Quoting from the article, these are the new rules for determining a true planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."

Except stuff orbiting themselves (i.e. moons), of course on the last. And that they must primarily orbit the Sun rather than another planet (i.e., not moons ).

And finally. I was scared that they were going to go through with the "12 planets" crap from last week. I did an astronomy course in first year, and the lecturers were very clear about Eight Planets, and when you look into it, Pluto never really made sense (it was originally thought to be bigger than Neptune, and when they officially "Made it a Planet", they still thought it was three or so times bigger than it is.)

As long as we don't lose Uranus!

No, that planet's safe. It's Pluto's overlapping orbit that disqualified it from full planetary status.

Though I do recall there was some talk of going back to the Greek version of the name and calling the planet Ouranos instead of Uranus. But I guess they dropped that idea?

and its size relative to Charon.

This whole debate on what is/isn't a planet is rather silly. It's really an arbritrary classification, and, if one looks at the history of the matter, it's often had a lot more to do with politics than with anything that's actually scientifically significant.

Perhaps we should investigate references to nine planets in the Legion to see how the matter is ultimately resolved.

Hmm... did Superboy eat ice cream from Pluto?

Well considering the fact that Pluto is smaller than our moon, you kind of had to know it was just a matterof time.

Nope. Both he and Supergirl ate Martian ice cream.

But it was at the nine planets ice cream shoppe.


I think that the general public will still call Pluto a planet.

"I think that the general public will still call Pluto a planet."


I think you're giving them too much credit...


"Pluto's LOST? Does Micky Mouse know about it yet?"

Hmmm...

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us...Nothing???

Another mnemonic device shot to crap:

My Very Erotic Mate Joyfully Satisfies Unusual Needs ...

(What's missing here is Passionately.)

actually, Pluto just was discovered to have three moons, instead of one - yes three moons orbiting Pluto. so it is still considered as a planet because it orbits the Sun and three moons revolving Pluto! Once it was thought to be a "double planet" because of Charon's size and Pluto's size being so similar to each other and their erratic revolution.

I believe that they named two new moons - Hydea and Nyx. Correct me if I am wrong.

all that debate...*sigh*...politics and I give up.

I will never give up pluto...NEVAH!

They had a story on the local news last night (which I'm sure was done by just about every major city) on how the planetarium in SLC now has to spend thousands of dollars updating their displays and films to change all references to Pluto being a planet.

I say send the bill to these educated dolts who just wanted to get their name in the press. If they wanted to change the definition, fine. But what's wrong with giving one exception to a celestial body that's been part of the solar system for 76 years? It isn't like the moons of Jupiter would complain.

I find this all quite fascinating, although I really don't have an invested interest in Pluto's status.

This quote made this thread for me

Well Ceres was demoted in the 19th century to asteroid, so it's not like it hasn't been done before. <shrug>

Hmmm... I didn't think the two moons discovered by the Hubble had been named yet, what little I've read of them hasn't given them any official names, but I could have been reading dated material, or if could be that they're unofficial nicknames similar to Xena.

If you want to believe Wikipedia: Nix and Hydra

What's happened is this. The International Astronomical Union has finally settled on rules for what makes a true planet; because of its orbital path, Pluto doesn't fit all three qualifications.

However, Pluto will be redefined as a "dwarf planet". And that's the category where they'll put Ceres and 2003 UB313 (aka "Xena").

QUOTE]If you want to believe Wikipedia: Nix and Hydra [/QB][/QUOTE]

AWESOME thanks! One of my friends was actually in Prague voting. He was totally appalled by the whole 12 planet push, so I know he's happy.

No, but the rings of Saturn have been furious.


Life goes on. There are exactly the same number of heavenly bodies in the solar system as there were before, whatever we choose to call them. This issue has all the importance and urgency of deciding exactly when the 21st century began -- 2000 or 2001 -- and will be remembered with just as much fanfare. :rolleyes: