Topic: Pluto no longer a planet

[Meilinrose]

Title pretty much says it all! A meeting of leading astronomers held in the Czech Republic today delcared that under new classification rules, Pluto no long counts as one of the planets of our solar system (which has effectively downsized to the 'classical' system of eight planets).

The new definition of a planet is: "A celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit." which disqualifies Pluto automatically since its orbit overlaps with Neptune's.

Instead it's now a 'dwarf planet', and there could be a lot more joining it in status over the next few years (including its moon Charon, presumably).

Views?

[Maki-chan]

I'm sure that Pluto itself isn't really bothered by what us humans think of it. ^_^;;

The pictures that I've seen of Pluto make it certainly look like a planet - big round ball of rock, etc. It also doesn't orbit another planet like our moon does, so it seems like a planet to me and I don't see why there is such an issue over something like this.

The Sailor Senshi are going to be really upset over this ... *Huggles Setsu-chan.*

[Froggie chan]

Pluto was one of my favourite planets so of course I'm annoyed with this.

But what annoys me more is that isa automatically disqualified because it's orbit crosses with Neptunes.
Is a planet not something that orbits the Sun with a particular mass?! [Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not well educated on the ways of the Solar System. ^.^;]
I think I'll always personally class it as a planet, even if it is not scintifically correct.
D<

[cookie munster]

i think they should for the basic, that for years and years its been in a solar system as a planet, we have all grown up to believe it is, and its the smallest planet.. for that, i think its unfair...
ah well. nothing 1 person could ever do anyway..

[Miss Lucia]

Well personally I think that is rather pathetic that they cross Pluto not being a planet because it's orbit crosses over Neptunes. It still conforms to the new rules and how should that make it any difference. >_0

And and MJ I also did think that about the sailor senshi xD Pluto going to go bye bye T_T

Also it to me doesn't have the same ring to it when you talk about the "Eight planets in our solar system and our dwarf planet"

[cookie munster]

yushers.. it sounds... poo.... ^__^

[..:: Chibi Plum ::..]

I think the fact that it overlaps Neptunes orbit is a silly excuse and is kinda pathetic. Does that mean that if Saturn or Jupiter overlapped they would no longer be planets!!??

I mean whats the oprbit got to do with anything!!!

[Meilinrose]

The fact that its orbit crosses with Neptune's is the 'proof' that it's not large enough to have a nearly-round orbit under the guidelines for planet classification. Comets have a very elliptical orbit and that's one of the criteria for an object being named as a comet i.e. not a planet or other mass.

There's a belt beyond Pluto (much like the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter) called the Kuiper belt, full of literally thousands of orbiting masses that aren't large enough to qualify as planets, and Pluto and Charon might be considered Kuiper belt objects from now on, along with many other 'dwarf planets' discovered there.

To be honest I think they're still talking about this, but it doesn't look too good v_v I'm too used to the idea of Pluto as a planet as well!

[..:: Chibi Plum ::..]

>_<

Why do they have to make things so goddamn complex? I was watching the news the other day, amazingly, and apparantly scientist etc are going to be doing this sort of thing a lot seeing more often as there is so much more of space out there and so many other thnigs to be classified.

Personally I find it kinda annoying. As if space isn't complex enough for some to grasp ((>.> <.<)) they are now adding more sub-headings for things....

goddamn scientists....they never think of the people with bad memories >.<

[cookie munster]

true true..
it aint fair.. if its round
and has its own orbit.. and maybe a moon and a ring.. it should be.. or at least an aphtmoshpere.. (how do i spell that?) and maybe a few other things..
whoa
actually
how do you know..??
whoa

[JimMEH!]

It's 'atmosphere' I think it's God damn annoying that it isn't a planet anymore! How can they just cross off a planet from our solar system? I'm the guy who doesn't like change and doesn't want technology to advance any further and stuff, so you can imagine how I feel about this! I grew up, actually all of us did, with nine planets in our solar system and now we only have eight?! They're going to have to rewrite all the text books and make new rhymes for kids who can't remember the order of planets.. Why go through all that hastle when you could just keep life the same?!

[Moshman^]

Hey, a dwarf planet is a planet nonetheless. You can say 'dwarf planet' without planet.