Quote:
Originally Posted by Zubenel
Sir, Why did your heart jump when you mistook NGC2867 for a planet? Would not the distance from the Ecliptic immediately rule it out as one ?? Or am I missing something ?Best Regards Wes ...
stumbled across this one last Friday Night.
Sky Safari notes :
NGC 2867 was discovered by John Herschel from the Cape of Good Hope on April Fools Day, 1834. Herschel was almost fooled into thinking it was a new planet. Its size and appearance were certainly planet-like, and it was only after careful checking that Herschel was convinced it was a nebula.
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Maybe the dogma that a planet must be on the ecliptic wasn't as strong as it is today.?
Don't forget Pluto is 17° off the plain of the solar system
We now know that there are planets floating about the galaxy without a parent star.
Just some points in Herschel's favor.
Cheers
