Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet 11 minutes ago

 

 

 

Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

 

After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is — and isn't — a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.

 

Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell — a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings — urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.

 

"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.

 

The decision by the prestigious international group spells out the basic tests that celestial objects will have to meet before they can be considered for admission to the elite cosmic club.

 

For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

 

Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a 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."

 

Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's.

 

Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit the sun — "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites.

 

It was unclear how Pluto's demotion might affect the mission of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which earlier this year began a 9 1/2-year journey to the oddball object to unearth more of its secrets.

 

The decision at a conference of 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries was a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when the group's leaders floated a proposal that would have reaffirmed Pluto's planetary status and made planets of its largest moon and two other objects.

 

That plan proved highly unpopular, splitting astronomers into factions and triggering days of sometimes combative debate that led to Pluto's undoing.

 

Now, two of the objects that at one point were cruising toward possible full-fledged planethood will join Pluto as dwarfs: the asteroid Ceres, which was a planet in the 1800s before it got demoted, and 2003 UB313, an icy object slightly larger than Pluto whose discoverer, Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, has nicknamed "Xena."

 

Charon, the largest of Pluto's three moons, is no longer under consideration for any special designation.

 

Brown was pleased by the decision. He had argued that Pluto and similar bodies didn't deserve planet status, saying that would "take the magic out of the solar system."

 

"UB313 is the largest dwarf planet. That's kind of cool," he said.

[Black Lushus 0]

 

ROOOOOOOOOOWL!!!!!!

[alfdogg 0]

I can't imagine the riots that must be going on over there right now.

[Guest Felonies!]

Somebody tried to add a "Pluto" to The Planets because it wasn't a planet when Holst was around, but it wasn't very good.

[vivalaultra 0]

Well, now elementary school children will no longer be able to remember the distance of the planets with the old "My Very Eager Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas." However, the spelling of artihmetic can still be taught using the equally clever "A Rat In Tom's Hous Might Eat Tom's Ice Cream."

[NoCalMike 0]

Remember Screech's method to help Zach remember the plant's order from the Sun in Saved by the Bell...

 

MVEMJSUNP

[bob_barron 0]

http://pluto.justgotowned.com/

[Guest Felonies!]

the spelling of artihmetic

[vivalaultra 0]

Aha, you, Czechster, have just fallen into my trap! Active reading=active people!

[Guest DRH 502]

As an amature Astronomer...this..just..doesn't effect me at all. On a side note I was looking through my telescope last night and I saw a fucking plane that must have been way far away, because I couldn't see it with the naked eye nor hear it. It moved across my view and as I tried to follow it I completely lost it. Weird. I need one of those new GOTO scopes...

[vivalaultra 0]

O.k. I recant. I mistyped. Damn you for pointing out my earlier foible. Alas, "artihmetic" is not a real word just as Pluto is not a real planet. Do you think that they'll rename Uranus Pluto so we don't have a planet that sounds like "your anus" anymore?

[Guest Felonies!]

Call for love!

I will call you up

Cuz you're my artihmetic lover, number one

Call for love!

I will call you up

Cuz you're my

Artihmetic (artihmetic!) artihmetic lover.

 

dudu-dada-da-da-dudu-dada-da-da-dudu-dada-da-da-dudu-dada-da-da

[vivalaultra 0]

...Well, now you're just being a dick about it...jerkface.

[Guest Felonies!]

My favorite song of theirs is the one where the girl sings, then the guy raps in a monotone, and then the girl sings again.

[Just John 0]

As a serious response to this thread, I have a question, albeit kind of a stupid one.

 

Why is Pluto demoted as a planet for crossing Neptune's orbit, but Neptune isn't demoted for crossing Pluto's orbit? Is there like a seniority rule in effect?

[vivalaultra 0]

Uh...Neptune has seniority? Yeah, I think Neptune was discovered first. If that's not the reason, I have no idea and am curious to know.

[Guest Felonies!]

Neptune is big. Pluto is small. 's'all I got.

[the max 0]

Neptune is a better name.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

Neptune's orbit is much more circular then Pluto's. Since the new definition of planet says that a planet must have a circular orbit, and Pluto's orbit isn't circular (it's oval, like an egg), Neptune is a planet, and Pluto is not.

 

Neptune's orbit is pretty normal. It's Pluto's orbit that's fucked up.

 

http://www.rfcafe.com/references/general/solar_system.htm

 

Click that link to see.

 

As an amature Astronomer...this..just..doesn't effect me at all.

 

You're an amateur astronomer, and you think that having a solid definition of planet for the first time ever, and a re-arranging of the solar system doesn't affect you at all?

 

That's pretty amateur.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

This is all a plot by Hades to keep his planet on the down low.

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

Who were you guys talking about? La Bouche? Snap? Technotronic?

[Guest Felonies!]

[vivalaultra 0]

I thought it was Ace of Base, but my knowledge of early to mid 90s synthy dance pop probably isn't as good as Czech's.

[Guest Felonies!]

And people say I only know white-people music.

 

EDIT: Oh wait, it is white-people music. Foiled again!

[vivalaultra 0]

Did Real McCoy sing that "Be My Lover" song? I know Technotronic did "Pump Up the Jams" and La Bouche did that "Come on Ride Tha Train" song. This has nothing to do with Pluto.

[Slayer 0]

Do you think that they'll rename Uranus Pluto so we don't have a planet that sounds like "your anus" anymore?

They'll finally change it to "Urectum"

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

Did Real McCoy sing that "Be My Lover" song? I know Technotronic did "Pump Up the Jams" and La Bouche did that "Come on Ride Tha Train" song. This has nothing to do with Pluto.

 

no, la bouche was be my lover.

 

quad city dj's i think did the train song. they had the sound to make me go downtown.

[vivalaultra 0]

Did Sanp sing that "It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right" which I hear constantly at baseball games?

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

That was Rob Base.

[MrRant 0]

I don't think this will stand since only about 10% of astronomers voted on it.

 

It's gonna be a war bitches. What side are you on?