Myt332 From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 9112 posts, RR: 74 Posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1845 times:
Leading astronomers have declared that Pluto is no longer a planet, approving new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. The International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930.
Nighthawk From UK - Scotland, joined Sep 2001, 4988 posts, RR: 38 Reply 3, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1823 times:
Define: planet
1) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction
2) an object in orbit around a star that is not a star in its own right
Now, pluto is not a star, and it orbits round the sun, so that makes it a planet! Cmon astronomers, google says so, so it must be true!
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 4, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1804 times:
Hmmm, does that mean that Pluto gets deleted from Gustav Holst's masterpiece "The planets", too??? Poor Engerlaenders, only a few remarkable pieces in classical music and now THAT
KFLLCFII From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 3262 posts, RR: 33 Reply 5, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1804 times:
Wasn't there a somewhat-recent release saying they had actually discovered a tenth planet? Now they're downsizing the solar system to eight??
"About the only way to look at it, just a pity you are not POTUS KFLLCFII, seems as if we would all be better off."
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1784 times:
Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 5): Wasn't there a somewhat-recent release saying they had actually discovered a tenth planet? Now they're downsizing the solar system to eight??
Sedna, Quaoar, Xena and a couple of others, as I recall, are considered Kuiper Belt Objects now. As is poor Pluto! Or are they Trans-Neptunian Objects? It's all quite confusing.
If Pluto is considered a Kuiper Belt Object, then so is Charon, its largest moon, and its two other, much-smaller moons.
Ceres remains a large asteroid, located much closer to Earth.
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 10, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1784 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 5): Now they're downsizing the solar system to eight??
Hey, times are tough and oil prices are high. If the solar system hadn't been downsized to improve efficiency, chapter 11 would have been the only option.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7673 posts, RR: 18 Reply 12, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1753 times:
Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 5): Now they're downsizing the solar system to eight??
I think what will eventually happen, especially as more large objects are discovered beyond Neptune, is that some additional classification scheme will be needed for objects like Pluto, Sedna, and 2003 UB313. Size aside, b/c their orbits are often at odd inclinations and are highly eccentric (Sedna for example has an orbital period of 12050(!) years, gets as close as 76 AUs and as far as 975 AUs), they are clearly very different objects in how they came to be and what their role in the solar system is.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55 Reply 14, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1744 times:
Quoting Andreas (Reply 4): Hmmm, does that mean that Pluto gets deleted from Gustav Holst's masterpiece "The planets", too???
Pluto was never a movement in "The Planets" as Holst wrote it. The movement "Pluto, the Renewer" was written as an add-on by Colin Matthews in 2000.
From my perspective why not consider it a planet? It may not have "orbital dominance," but Pluto does have three satellites of its own (Charon, Nix, and Hydra) - why not just grandfather it as a planet and be done with it?
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
SlamClick From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 10062 posts, RR: 71 Reply 15, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1728 times:
Quoting 2H4 (Reply 10): Hey, times are tough and oil prices are high. If the solar system hadn't been downsized to improve efficiency, chapter 11 would have been the only option.
I blame management.
You may still expect the retirement plan to be scrapped!
* * *
"Never go to Pluto, It's a Mickey Mouse Planet"
Robin Williams as Mork
Happiness is not seeing another trite Ste. Maarten photo all week long.
AerospaceFan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1723 times:
By the way, NASA's New Horizons space probe may become the first and only spacecraft ever to have been launched toward a planet that ended up at a Kuiper Belt Object -- Pluto.
Regardless of that, I look forward to seeing New Horizon reach Pluto in years hence, if for nothing else than nostalgia's sake.
Come to think of it, it may be a greater honor for a spacecraft to visit a Kuiper Belt Object for the very first time -- that, and Charon, another such object, too! After all, visiting planets is so 2006.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1714 times:
Quoting Garnetpalmetto (Reply 14): From my perspective why not consider it a planet? It may not have "orbital dominance," but Pluto does have three satellites of its own (Charon, Nix, and Hydra) - why not just grandfather it as a planet and be done with it?
Because science is based on models constructed from theory and observation, not sentimentality. Pluto does not fit the model parameters for being a planet. It's not like Pluto is offended.
SlamClick From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 10062 posts, RR: 71 Reply 21, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1691 times:
Now what do we do with so many cases of this stuff?
Happiness is not seeing another trite Ste. Maarten photo all week long.
FrancoBlanco From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (6 years 9 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1634 times:
Well, let's not forget Rupert is still out there, so we insiders know there are still nine planets. Or was it 42?
Sebastian
25 David L: My Very Entertaining Mother Just Served Us Nine... that is all, goodnight.
26 CastleIsland: You may not want to be posting that on the internet.
27 KROC: You're going to vacation in LHMark's sex life???
28 David L: I guess there's some meaning I'm not aware of. Are you aware of the now defunct mnemonic "My Very Entertaining Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas"?
29 Braybuddy: Don't worry, Myt332, as long as they don't interfere with Uranus you'll be okay.
30 9VSPO: Maybe he should take a look at Uranus Andy.
31 Myt332: Braybuddy has already been there and he's told me it's a bit of a shit hole, more suited to tight fisted people. I'll give it a miss if that ok.
33 Skidmarks: Now, thats just inflamatory - and as I already have piles............ Andy
34 Derico: Forget the astronomical Union. I have made my own new definitions of the Solar System. 4 GIANT planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune 4 Major plane
35 AndesSMF: Perfect! So under Bush, we have already lost one planet, which one is next?
36 Bohica: Is the solar system bankrupt? Is that why they're downsizing? Too much competition from another galaxy? Poor Pluto. It's so F#%k!ng Goofy.
37 Klaus: I'll believe that when Pluto is actually impounded and towed away...!
38 Tu204: The bastards! They killed Pluto! They will pay dearly for this.
39 Seb146: I keep meaning to ask about Xena. I thought that was a planet. So where are Pluto, Xena, Sedna, Ceres, and 2005 FY9 in relation to the sun? Do they ha
40 DavestanKSAN: [ANC on] Gawwdamn, some of you need to get a life. It took 35 fawking replies for someone to blame Bush. 35! [/ANC off] What are they going to do wit
41 Usair320: Well this will be hard to get used to as I grew up with Pluto being a planet Ohh well.
42 Gunsontheroof: Any reaction from the Pluto a.netters?
43 FlyUSCG: Thats the one I remember, although... It was always "My Very EXCELLENT Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" when we said it. Excellent makes a lot more