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I find it incredible that the IAU sets up a comittee specifically to make a recommendation as to what should, and what should not, be considered a planet, the comittee drafts a set of guidelines, the IAU votes, and rejects the recommendations and actually goes in the opposite direction.
These guys act like politicians, not astronomers. Whether you agree or disagree with the final decision (I disagree, for what it's worth) the new rules still seem rather non-specific, and I'm sure the debate over this will rage for years to come.
When at school I learned the order of the planets by the mnemonic
"Most Volcanoes Erupt Mulberry Jam Sandwiches Under Normal Pressure"
I posted this back in March on these forums, but I'll post it here again.
With the official removal of Pluto as a planet I now propose this new one:
"Many Vulgar Earthlings Make Junior Satellites Unilaterally Nonexistent"
copyright Steve 2006
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