Thursday, August 24, 2006

Much ado about Pluto



In photo: Pluto


Pluto's Planetary Status Looks Doomed
Thursday, August 24, 2006

AP

Leading astronomers are bitterly divided over new galactic guidelines that for the first time would define what is and isn't a planet. The debate all but dooms a proposal being put to a vote Thursday to expand the solar system to 12 planets from the traditional nine.

Caught yet again in the crossfire is puny Pluto, scorned by many as a poser that could be demoted as a dwarf — slightly shrinking Earth's neighborhood instead.

Opponents "smell blood, and I think they're going to get it," Alan Boss, an astrophysicist at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., said on the eve of a vote by members of the International Astronomical Union.

Leaders of the group, the official arbiter of heavenly bodies, caused a sensation last week by proposing that Pluto's largest moon and two other objects officially be designated as planets. They suggested that Pluto and the three newcomers be the first of a new class of planet dubbed "plutons." Rest of story here.

For me anyways...Pluto will always be the ninth and final planet in our solar system.

9 Comments:

At 12:29 PM, Blogger WomanHonorThyself said...

gosh a new term "dwarf"..sounds a bit like semantics to me but what do I know..I'm no professional astronomer thats for sure!

 
At 4:43 PM, Blogger Dan Zaremba said...

bit like semantics ...
You're not wrong here.
Plain idiocy.

 
At 4:44 PM, Blogger Brooke said...

Whatever. With NASA heading up space travel, we'll never get there anyway! ;)

 
At 4:51 PM, Blogger American Crusader said...

no kidding BROOKE. I remember when we landed on the moon. Who would have thought almost 40 years later that we still haven't made it to Mars.

 
At 8:13 PM, Blogger Obob said...

they thought the world was flat once also, what you didn't hear, the Democrats are blaming Bush for not consulting with the UN before allowing the study to emerge, thus his unilateral policy has put our relationship with Venus to a test.
Don't worry, the French told Kofi, "we will cover Uranus."

 
At 5:41 AM, Blogger American Crusader said...

Don't worry, the French told Kofi, "we will cover Uranus."

great line obob...

 
At 4:21 PM, Blogger Always On Watch said...

Just think what this change will mean for Holst's piece The Planets?

 
At 4:52 PM, Blogger Gayle said...

"Don't worry, the French told Kofi, 'we will cover Uranus'." ROTFALMAO!

Seriously, for a Planet, pluto is small; so now astronomers are discriminating against midgets! Sheesh! I'm with you: Pluto has been a planet all of my life, and for the remainder of my life it shall remain one! Before you know it, they will be saying Earth is too small to be considered a planet!

 
At 2:08 PM, Blogger elmers brother said...

Where does this leave Goofy?

 

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