New planetary definition

[AustinBoston]

The IAU recently changed the definition of a planet.  

It is a fairly controversial change, and a strict interpretation means that Pluto is no longer a planet.

In layman's terms, the new definition includes:

1) Must be round
2) Must orbit the sun
3) Must clear everything from it's path.

First reply (by somebody else): "Great, now my Mother-In-Law is a planet."

I'll bet she has an atmosphere, too.

Austin

[wavery]

If it doesn't have a campgound (hook-ups or no hook-ups), I couldn't care less what they call it.



HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!! Now that it is not it's own planet......I wonder if it will be eligible for foreign aid :swear: Maybe they should send ALL of the UN inspectors there.

[zamboni]

I'm bummed that after 76 years, they are going to revoke "planet" status from Pluto.

Isn't that like a retroactive abortion?  :confused:

[AustinBoston]

I wonder if it will be eligible for foreign aid

That would be why they sent the New Horizons spacecraft back in January.  It will arrive at Pluto in 2015.

New Horizons Page at the JHU/APL site.

Austin

[wavery]

I'm bummed that after 76 years, they are going to revoke "planet" status from Pluto.

Isn't that like a retroactive abortion?  :confused:

Well.....just think how the Mexicans felt when we revoked California as part of Mexico and renamed it as part of the USA :sombraro: .

[griffsmom]

Heck, I'm still ticked about when they changed the pronunciation from "Yer-ay-nus" to "Yer-uh-nis"

[HrH PrincessLeia]

I've been listening all day to people saying "Now what are we going to teach our children to help them remember? My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine..... whats?"

Ummm..... how about My very educated mother just served us noodles?

or nuts? How about necterines?

[AustinBoston]

I've been listening all day to people saying "Now what are we going to teach our children to help them remember? My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine..... whats?"

Ummm..... how about My very educated mother just served us noodles?

or nuts? How about necterines?

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nothing.

Austin

[CajunCamper]

Hey it is what it is. Just because a group of eggheads get together in a room and decide to change the labeling of something doesn't mean squat.

[flyfisherman]

Geeze ... how will I ever get by now ...?

With all the hefty stuff going on in the world and such, another pseudo-intellectual decision like this could put me over the edge ...!



Fly

[wavery]

UHHHHH!! All I can say is:

"Don't stand so darn close to the edge"

 :J

[wavery]

Geeze ... how will I ever get by now ...?

With all the hefty stuff going on in the world and such, another pseudo-intellectual decision like this could put me over the edge ...!



Fly

UHHHHH!! All I can say is:

"Don't stand so darn close to the edge"

 :J

[HrH PrincessLeia]

Hey it is what it is. Just because a group of eggheads get together in a room and decide to change the labeling of something doesn't mean squat.

Oh, but it does. How many hundreds of thousands of textbooks are now obsolete, and need to be remade and distributed. At taxpayer's expense, of course.

[AustinBoston]

Oh, but it does. How many hundreds of thousands of textbooks are now obsolete, and need to be remade and distributed. At taxpayer's expense, of course.

Don't worry; it will be a long time before those textbooks are replaced.  When they are, they will still have Pluto as a planet, not because the author disagrees, but because each generation of science texts has to have science that is at least 30 years old.

I remember a science textbook that had a chapter on aircraft that gave an explanation for how an airplane flys that was based on an idea disproven by the Wright Brothers.  That was in 1969.

There will be no rush for new textbooks over this.

Austin