IAU dwarfs Pluto's planetary pretensions...

[Black Globe Generator]

The IAU has spoken: Planets, dwarf planets, and S3Bs.

Planetarium directors around the world frantically change their exhibit captions.


(Subject line edited at 0909 PDT.)

 

[Klaus]

Thank the stars. I thought they'd done something quite silly, when I saw this news story presented as fact:

BBC News: Astronomers plan for Pluto

I confess to not paying complete 100% attention to it when it was ont telly, and I came away felling that this was the IAU's decision.

It's a relief to find out their real decision is alot more sensible. At least most games of Trivial Pursuit will still be correct.

 

[kafka47]

Charon, I know about when were others discovered...

"Charon, the largest of Pluto's three moons, is no longer under consideration for any special designation."

"In late 2005, a team using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered two additional tiny moons orbiting Pluto. Provisionally designated S/2005 P1 and S/2005 P2, they are now known as Nix and Hydra. They are estimated to be between 60 and 200 kilometers in diameter.

How did I miss out on that????

Maybe, we have just discovered the Jumpgate...

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Klaus:
I confess to not paying complete 100% attention to it when it was ont telly, and I came away felling that this was the IAU's decision.

The way the proposal was headlined by the MSM gave the impression that astronomers designated Ceres, Charon, and Xena as planets.

 

[aramis]

BGG: The draft proposal DID. It apparently failed at the conference and a counter proposal made it. IIRC, the conference ends TOMORROW... and might have some more surprises in store. I doubt it, but one can hope.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Aramis:
BGG: The draft proposal DID. It apparently failed at the conference and a counter proposal made it. IIRC, the conference ends TOMORROW... and might have some more surprises in store. I doubt it, but one can hope.

Right, but way it was presented by the MSM made it sound like a done-deal, not a proposal under consideration by the membership.

I wonder if Disney's stock is going to take a hit.

 

[mike wightman]

I doubt that this decision will last though.

There were less than 500 delegates when the vote was taken, and there are already petitions being drawn up to change it.

 

[Commander Drax]

I heard on today's news that Pluto has now been downgraded to a 'dwarf planet' how stupid is that!

 

[Plankowner]

That is modern science in action (Correctly).

You make an observation and an initial classification, as more data comes in, you revise your classifications.

In 1930, Pluto was and should have been classified as a full fledged planet. After confirmation of the Kuiper Belt objects (Trans-Neptunian Objects), it should have been reclassified right then and dropped from the Planet list. Only politics and the letter writing campaign of a bunch of school kids (who should be deciding these sorts of things right???) kept it a planet for as long as it was.

 

[mike wightman]

The backlash has started...

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

The odd thing is, this appears to me as typically how science progresses. Enough information is there, its now just a matter of getting a concensus on the definitions to encapsulate that info by the experts in the field.

 

[sid6.7]

OT somewhat:

this is what happens when you have to much time
on your hands and not enough real work....
even more so if this was a taxpayer paid
"project"....

 

[TheEngineer]

Doesn't this decision has an incredible impact on Your daily life, Traveller, the taste of coffee and the future of the whole world.

Anyway, guess the universe does not care much about human definitions

 

[kafka47]

How typical of a Union to actually slack off and create less work than actually expand the work. Never wanting to remember more than 8-9 planets, they decided to drop poor isolated Pluto, just because it crosses the orbit of another.

Conversely, on the other side of the debate, members of the Union actually want to enlarge the planetary base to create just more work for their members. Adding planets from just Kuniper objects and other assorted planetary debres...just a giant make work project by people who look up at the sky and count the stars all night and then sleep mostly during the day...whilst the rest of us work hard all day.

If one has not guessed the above is a joke, one needs to look always on the lighter side of life.

 

[ravells]

The 'Pluto debate' should be dramatised, it would make a great mini-Ceres!

badaboom!

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by ravs:
The 'Pluto debate' should be dramatised, it would make a great mini-Ceres!

badaboom!

Please, a little decorum - this is Cereous stuff we're talking about!

 

[Plankowner]

Amazingly enough, this is NOT the first time that a "planet" has been demoted.

Back in the 1800s, Ceres was first discovered and it fit nicely between Mars and Jupiter and OH BOY, we have a new planet. Books were published showing this planet. Later, other asteroids were discovered and Ceres was demoted to a big Asteroid. Now Pluto is getting the same treatment in the Kuiper Belt.

 

[Plankowner]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
The backlash has started...

Only 424 astronomers stayed for the vote. It just confirms that even THEY don't care too much.

OF COURSE the project Manager for the Pluto mission is upset, his reputation depends on it. Seems to me need to explore these Ice Dwarfs is still necessary, planet or not.