Since the IAU's decision to 'demote' Pluto, have you changing your opinions?

[AJames]

On 15th April 2007, Chissyo posted a thread on "Pluto and the IAU - What do you think?"
(See http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=19273 )

At the time, people were very passionate on the decision, whose effect was to completely polarise opinion either for or against. Many displayed either tears or cheers!
As sometime has past since then, and things have simmered down, has your opinion changed of this "Pluto Demotion" controversy?
Did it change your world-view or was it merely another "proverbial drop in the ocean"?

[The FishMan]

Why demote it? I can't understand why? Is this a 'Nanny state' decision. Was it politically-correct to remove Pluto.

[Ric]

I didn't see any point in it then to demote Pluto and I still can't see any point in it now.

I often wonder why Mercury wasn't demoted as well, there is approx 1200km diference in their equatorial radius.

Cheers

[Kal]

I haven't changed my mind.

As a scientific decision it made sense to derive a firm definition of a planet - which is what they did. If science was not willing to change to adapt and grow we would never get anywhere ;)

Ric - Mercury is still a planet, and pluto isn't, because the 3rd requirement of the definition is only met by one of these two bodies ;)

is in orbit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbit) around the Sun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun),
has sufficient mass so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrostatic_equilibrium) (nearly round) shape, and
has "cleared the neighbourhood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleared_the_neighbourhood)" around its orbit.

[Ric]

Thanks for the links Andrew, that clears up my questions about Mercury.

Cheers

[Zuts]

I don't think it's fair, has anyone ever actually asked the Plutonians what they think :P

Paul

[Zuts]

Sorry I forgot, the I.A.U are just a bunch of Plutocrats :)

Paul

[Craig.a.c]

I grew up with our solar system having 9 planets, and I will always class pluto as a planet. Poor little fella.

[higginsdj]

It never ceases to amaze me how people still believe it was a 'demotion' and they still think it has to do with size. Even Tombaugh thought soon after his discovery that Pluto was not a planet.

People, get over it, it is a scientific classification - Pluto itself has not changed.

Stand by for what New Horizon may bring and a possible reclassification into something else - thats the nature of science. As we learn more about something we more accurately classify it.

[mark3d]

as soon as i saw that all the planets orbit the sun in a disc except pluto which is at like 45 degrees i was happy to consider it a stray that got caught in the suns gravity during its travels - not a planet that coalesced from gas and stuff along with ours 4.5 billion years ago :thumbsup: so big asteroid is my opion :) (although what if it formed elsewhere as a legit planet but ended up here hehe who knows)

[Kokatha man]

Oh yes - completely changed my world view: I now find I'm sleeping less, have become totally disenchanted with all those values I once held in high esteem and, quite frankly, becoming rather depressed and cynical to the point where I am thinking of burning my "Big Golden Book of Astronomy" - one of my AA heirlooms from 50 odd years ago. Please, is there anything I can do to pull myself out of this spiralling depression?

[Geoff45]

The large asteroids---Ceres, Vesta, Juno, Pallas--were once considered planets, but were later "demoted" to minor planets or asteroids as more were discovered. Nobody sheds a tear for them any more and in 50 years time nobody will think twice about Pluto's status. Time heals all.
Geoff

[Kokatha man]

Thanks for that Geoff: does that mean I can get on with/get a life now?

[cahullian]

I think they are worried the the oort cloud might have 100,000+ Pluto sized objects and no one will be able to name them all. Anyway when I hear the world Pluto I think of Disney...

Gazz

[Kokatha man]

What about Uranus?

[cahullian]

Lol don't get me started on that one...

Gazz