8 planets it is then - Page 2

Volans · #21 25-08-2006, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonia

Pluto was automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's. It will now join a new category of "dwarf planets".

Alot of people have been saying this in the discussions I've seen online. Pluto does not overlap or cross Neptune's orbit. At all times there is a huge gap between Pluto's orbital path and Neptune's. The reason Pluto has been removed from the list of planets is due to the last criteria of the resolution. It does not have enough gravity to clear away it's local area. It's the same deal with Ceres; if Ceres were massive enough then its gravity would have either flung objects in the same orbit away or it would have collided with and absorbed them.

While I've often thought Pluto should not be a planet on scietific grounds, it should have retained its status for historical reasons. And as backup to that statement, I offer a host of scientifically inaccurate concepts that we all still use quite happily: the magnitude scale, stellar classes, the Quadrantid meteor shower, "seas" on the Moon, even my own nickname Volans which simply means "flying". Piscis Volans was the original name and is alot more sensible.

Well today I did the first school show without calling Pluto a planet. I had a group of rather bored grade 7's and 8's and they had no idea there was even a debate going on. I still mentioned Pluto however and gave them some of the facts and figures about it.

Peter.

Dennis · #22 25-08-2006, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volans

>snip
Well today I did the first school show without calling Pluto a planet. I had a group of rather bored grade 7's and 8's and they had no idea there was even a debate going on. I still mentioned Pluto however and gave them some of the facts and figures about it.

Peter.

Now that is a very telling observation from someone in the educational community who is close to the coal face....how many people outside the astronomy community are really interested in this topic?

Not too many it would appear.

Cheers

Dennis

h0ughy (David) · #23 25-08-2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis

Now that is a very telling observation from someone in the educational community who is close to the coal face....how many people outside the astronomy community are really interested in this topic?

Not too many it would appear.

Cheers

Dennis

it doesn't raise the price of fuel, or milk or bread, or for that matter bananas

Because of that most couldn't care less

ving (David) · #24 25-08-2006, 12:45 PM

8 planets? much better than the other proposal of 12 plus anything else thats round and orbits the sun!!!

i am happy with eight, tho i'll miss that lil' bugger

mickoking · #25 25-08-2006, 12:50 PM

Pluto not a planet Booooooooooo

It will always be the 9th planet to me regardless of how its pidgeon holed.

Volans · #26 25-08-2006, 01:12 PM

School show update: I've just finished the second school show of the day and it was the second half of the first school group. We had about 60 in the first group (the ones who were bored) and the same number in the second group. The second group were alot more lively and though they did not know about the IAU debate, they did ask "Why is it no longer a planet?" So this is what I told them

"A bunch of astronomers had got together to find out what makes a planet a planet. We all know what makes a dog a dog - it has 4 legs and goes woof woof...a cat is a cat because it has 4 legs and goes meow...but what makes a planet a planet? The astronomers came up with three things and something needs to qualify in all 3 to be a planet. Pluto got the first two but not the third."

I did not tell them what the three things were and the good thing is they were interested enough that they asked about the criteria and I told them. I also told them that Pluto is now officially a Dwarf Planet but it's not a planet. They thought that was a pretty dumb thing to call it (out of the mouthes of babes!) and they gave a round of applause for Pluto to cheer it up..LOL. They were a pretty cool group.

Peter.

Robert_T · #27 25-08-2006, 02:12 PM

I must confess to being less that excited either way, despite a long interest in Astronomy. I doubt pluto cares, it's size, shape, mass and gravity etc hasn't changed. In any case it really shouldn't stop people referring to pluto however they see fit. One group of humans have elected to call Pluto other than a planet. So what. I still call chips, "chips" even if a lot of people call them "fries" ....

ving (David) · #28 25-08-2006, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert_T

I must confess to being less that excited either way, despite a long interest in Astronomy. I doubt pluto cares, it's size, shape, mass and gravity etc hasn't changed. In any case it really shouldn't stop people referring to pluto however they see fit. One group of humans have elected to call Pluto other than a planet. So what. I still call chips, "chips" even if a lot of people call them "fries" ....

potato.

anthony2302749 · #29 25-08-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

I agree, profound but true, when you have a moon almost as big as you why would you be a planet?

In that case would it be best to describe it as a diametrically challenged binary planetary system.

rogerg (Roger) · #30 25-08-2006, 03:12 PM

Thank goodness I got photo's of pluto earlier this year during the occultations, while it was still a planet!

I wonder if those photo's are worth money now because the are of "The planet Pluto", you can't get photo's like that anymore ya know! Maybe I should auction them on eBay

Roger.

PS - in case you couldn't tell, I find this whole debate entertaining and a little silly although I agree a clear definition is required.

fringe_dweller · #31 25-08-2006, 03:43 PM

well I am glad I did the now quaint and antiquated? 'visually observe all 9 planets in one night challenge' that the US S&T magazine used to regularly promote back in the 90's while they were all still planets

As someone has already said, its all about the anticipated rush of 'dwarf planet' planetisimals, planetoids, captured mega comets/Oort cloud/Kuiper belt/TNO's fringe dwellers whatever you call them

that is surely coming with ever deeper imaging and probes ect. 100 000 AU all the way out to the far edge of the Oort cloud I assume? is that not filled with millions of possible dwarf planets then???

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volans

Alot of people have been saying this in the discussions I've seen online. Pluto does not overlap or cross Neptune's orbit. At all times there is a huge gap between Pluto's orbital path and Neptune's. .

I remember at least one period in the '90's when Neptune was the outermost planet for a while - I cant remember how often that happens now?

they should just qualify planets by what ever fringe dweller can visually pick up in his homemade 8" dob???

fringe_dweller · #32 25-08-2006, 04:03 PM

OT kinda - btw did everyone hear that joke going around after announced they planned to name 2003 UB313 'Xena'

'that just confirms our suspicions that astronomers are fundamentally just a bunch of horny geeks'

sheeny (Al) · #33 25-08-2006, 04:05 PM

I was hoping they'd go the other way and we could name planets after the rest of Disney's characters... Mickey, Donald, Goofy... Hewie, Dewie and Lewie...

What does it matter really? Pluto hasn't changed.

I don't know what affect Pluto has on horoscopes, but have you thought about the impact us meddling astronomers may have inadvertently had given this decision?

Al.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #34 25-08-2006, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Thank goodness I got photo's of pluto earlier this year during the occultations, while it was still a planet!

Hey that's right. I may have the only authentic images of Ceres in it's short planetary career. Wow.

I wonder if channel nine wants them and how much they would pay

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #35 25-08-2006, 05:24 PM

All my books are out of date now. A splendid excuse to buy more stuff!

Starkler (Geoff) · #36 25-08-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Hey that's right. I may have the only authentic images of Ceres in it's short planetary career. Wow.

Phew ! I got to observe Ceres during its short planetary career.
Hands up who can say they have observed ten planets

mickoking · #37 25-08-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Has anyone considered the impact on astrology?

alex

As a Libra with out Pluto I'm screwed. Please, please make Pluto a planet again otherwise my life is down the drain.

asimov (John) · #38 25-08-2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickoking

Pluto not a planet Booooooooooo

It will always be the 9th planet to me regardless of how its pidgeon holed.

I'm with you on this one

I couldn't give a stuff what anyone calls it....I'll be calling it the 9th planet & thats that!!

gaa_ian (Ian) · #39 25-08-2006, 10:21 PM

Poor Pluto

But look on the bright side, when people ask to be shown the 9th planet, we don't have to try & find it

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #40 25-08-2006, 10:51 PM

So, from what I've read, Pluto is relegated because it has failed to clear Neptune out of it's orbit. That means that Neptune also fails to be a planet because it has failed to clear Pluto out of it's orbit. So we're down to 7 planets in a puff of logic. Poor Neptune

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