Pluto is no longer a Planet!

[Guest]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/08/24/pluto.ap/index.html

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.

Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell -- a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings -- urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.

"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.

The decision by the prestigious international group spells out the basic tests that celestial objects will have to meet before they can be considered for admission to the elite cosmic club.

For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "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 neighborhood around its orbit."

Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit the sun -- "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites.

It was unclear how Pluto's demotion might affect the mission of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which earlier this year began a 9 1/2-year journey to the oddball object to unearth more of its secrets.

The decision at a conference of 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries was a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when the group's leaders floated a proposal that would have reaffirmed Pluto's planetary status and made planets of its largest moon and two other objects. (Watch why some think planet size doesn't matter -- 3:39)

That plan proved highly unpopular, splitting astronomers into factions and triggering days of sometimes combative debate that led to Pluto's undoing.

Now, two of the objects that at one point were cruising toward possible full-fledged planethood will join Pluto as dwarfs: the asteroid Ceres, which was a planet in the 1800s before it got demoted, and 2003 UB313, an icy object slightly larger than Pluto whose discoverer, Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, has nicknamed "Xena."

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

Brown was pleased by the decision. He had argued that Pluto and similar bodies didn't deserve planet status, saying that would "take the magic out of the solar system."

"UB313 is the largest dwarf planet. That's kind of cool," he said.

Such huge news, but such little coverage...

Look on the brightside though, anyone who has kids knows the solar system unit just got one planet easier to remember.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Its a real shame that they did that becasue it shatters my dream of being the ruler of the planet Pluto

Edited August 28, 2006 by bvfdjc316

[xfirefighter484x 234]

It just killed the old acronym!!!!

My

Very

Educated

Mother

Just

Served

Us

Nine

Pizzas

NO MORE PIZZAS!!!!!!!!!! OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

It just killed the old acronym!!!!

My

Very

Educated

Mother

Just

Served

Us

Nine

Pizzas

NO MORE PIZZAS!!!!!!!!!! OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

←

How about

[M]y

[V]ery

[E]ducated

[M]other

erved

s

[N]avy beans

How about that one, sure its not pizza but its better for you...more protein and i could not think of any food that starts with N

[Shantz02 0]

I guess mom will be serving a lot of

Nachos

these days.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Nachos...thats a good one thanks

[Remember585 815]

Perhaps she served you "Nothing?!"

[ONLOCATION 24]

I'm sorry but will anyone really miss it?

[xfirefighter484x 234]

How about

[M]y

[V]ery

[E]ducated

[M]other

erved

s

[N]avy beans

How about that one, sure its not pizza but its better for you...more protein and i could not think of any food that starts with N

←

No "J"?

So now you're trying to take yet another one away????? You space pirate!!!!!!

[x242Steve 1]

...but what does this mean for ??

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Pluto IS... still a Dog however.. Thank God.. SOME things never change. !!!!!!

[IzzyEng4 427]

Well Pluto just got kicked back by Zeus to the underworld again, No respect. Pluto must feel like Rodney Dangerfield. LOL

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

How about

[M]y

[V]ery

[E]ducated

[M]other

[J]ust

erved

s

[N]achos

How about that as the new acronym for remembering the planets

[Skooter92 7]

Well...

At least we've still got Uranus.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Well...

At least we've still got Uranus.

←

Uranus or Mianus?

[CAM502 6]

Did somebody say NACHOS?????????