Is Pluto a planet

[Sticks]

It has been argued that in light of recent discoveries like Sedna and Xena, Pluto is not really of a planet but a Keiper Belt object. If you look at it's size there is no justifiaction for its status as a planet, in effect it has been grandfathered in.

However according to the AU they have no intention of revoking its status.

Is this right?

[James]

It's a Trans-Neptunian object, so they say!

[cc100]

I studied an Open University Astronomy course, and, in the textbooks its officially a plant, so Ill go along with those of greater intelligence than I.

[THE_JUNK_MAN]

yeah its a planet

[ThaGazBoi]

A Planet. Deffo.

[Sticks]

There is a lot of debate about this in Astronomical circles, although the AU has no plans to change its status. When it was discovered in 1930

See here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4737647.stm)

[Sunny_01]

well it would just confuse me if they took away its status as a planet :spin:

[Sticks]

There is a museum in New York, where they have removed Pluto from the model of the solar system as the curator is adamant that it is not a planet and should have never been given that status. Even if the AU fudge it so Pluto is still a "planet" he will not bring back Pluto.

Sorry but there are only 8 planets.

[MarkWaldorf]

Im confused with all this knowledge :conf:

I'll say, Planet

[JakeyBoy]

Im confuslified

[easypeasy]

its a planet, size isnt everything in a quantum universe.

[Sticks]

Originally posted by easypeasy
its a planet, size isnt everything in a quantum universe.

Sorry but there are other objects in the Keiper Belt which are bigger than Pluto and have not been given planet status. Also Pluto is smaller than our moon.

It is only deemed by a planet because it was grandfathered in.

[Edwin]

Originally posted by Sticks
Originally posted by easypeasy
its a planet, size isnt everything in a quantum universe.

Sorry but there are other objects in the Keiper Belt which are bigger than Pluto and have not been given planet status. Also Pluto is smaller than our moon.

It is only deemed by a planet because it was grandfathered in.

If Pluto isn't a planet, then where is the line between planet and non planet? :puzzled:

[Sticks]

The IAU hope to come up with that in the Autumn

[andybigbro]

yes why wouldnt it be its in our solar system on all the planet poster so yes it is a planet

[ferg_luvs_bb7]

Ive always thought Pluto was that dog from mickey mouse. Oh well silly me

[Sticks]

Originally posted by andybigbro
yes why wouldnt it be its in our solar system on all the planet poster so yes it is a planet

In the past they once discovered what were thought of as planets, but later they were downgraded to the status of asteroid, so there is a precedent for reclassifying objects.

[easypeasy]

so does a planet have to have a minimum mass to qualify as a planet?

[Sticks]

That will be up to the IAU

[Z]

Personally, I'd feel weird reciting the names of the planets without adding Pluto at the end. From a scientific point of view, they should revoke its status as it isn't a planet.

[Lauren]

I'd say Keiper Belt Object. There's nothing that stands out from Pluto comapred to the other larger KPO.

[Siouxsie]

lol couldnt resist this one

[Sidrat2006]

Let's get the definition of the word Planet before we try to answer the question for the IAU.

Planets should have some sort of atmosphere. Landmasses? not important. Oceans of whatever. Again not important.

What's the difference between a moon and a planet? Orbital path. Nothing else really.

Does it actually mean anything, seeing as scientists like to name and compartmentalise everything from objects to assumed masses.

It's too far away to be of any real concern so they could start thinking about the more important things happening in this galaxy. Naming and classifying a planet/object on the outer edge of our solar system isn't something they should be spending time and money on.

[Sticks]

They have now started on this discussion

See here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4789531.stm)

We will either have 10 planets or 8

Smart money is on 8.

[sol]

Originally posted by Sticks
They have now started on this discussion

See here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4789531.stm)

We will either have 10 planets or 8

Smart money is on 8.

I thought that there were only 9 planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. :conf:

[Sticks]

Originally posted by sol
I thought that there were only 9 planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. :conf:

Recent discoveries have complicated that viewpoint of the solar system, especially since the discovery of 2003 UB313 by Professor Mike Brown and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology

[Siouxsie]

wow

[MarkWaldorf]

Originally posted by scooby
wow

What?

[Siouxsie]

Originally posted by BB06
Originally posted by scooby
wow

What?

whats your problem ? that comment was between me and sticks Your just a 16 year old boy looking for an argument

[lily.]

Originally posted by scooby
Originally posted by BB06
Originally posted by scooby
wow

What?

whats your problem ? that comment was between me and sticks Your just a 16 year old boy looking for an argument

harsh!... :nono:

[Siouxsie]

My opinion stropz
You werent on earlier when some posts got deleted. They were harsh:nono:

[lily.]

And, getting back on topic.. Sticks.. that's all very interesting, but I tend to agree with the post which says: "where do you draw the line between planet and non-planet?"

[MarkWaldorf]

Here we go :rolleyes:

1. Im not 16
2. I wasnt looking for an argument, I was just confused by your pointless post (one of many)

[Siouxsie]

Originally posted by BB06
Here we go :rolleyes:

1. Im not 16
2. I wasnt looking for an argument, I was just confused by your pointless post (one of many)


whatever:wavey:

[Ella]

:nono::nono:

[Bells]

lol BOB

And yeah, Pluto's a planet isn't it?? :conf:

[MarkWaldorf]

Originally posted by scooby
Originally posted by BB06
Here we go :rolleyes:

1. Im not 16
2. I wasnt looking for an argument, I was just confused by your pointless post (one of many)


whatever:wavey:

Yes whatever, Scooby for a woman of your age your not very polite or nice

[Dan_]

Originally posted by scooby
Originally posted by BB06
Here we go :rolleyes:

1. Im not 16
2. I wasnt looking for an argument, I was just confused by your pointless post (one of many)


whatever:wavey:

:sleep:

[Ella]

Pluto..Hmmm planet or not, well i dont know much about the solar System and stuff :conf:

[Siouxsie]

Originally posted by BB fernzy
Originally posted by scooby
Originally posted by BB06
Here we go :rolleyes:

1. Im not 16
2. I wasnt looking for an argument, I was just confused by your pointless post (one of many)


whatever:wavey:
exactly:sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep:

:sleep:

[Bells]

lol Elz

I dunno, I always thought it was. With that My Very Easy thingimajig we had to learn in school and stuff.

And now it's not a plant??

[Siouxsie]

Originally posted by ice_maiden02
lol Elz

I dunno, I always thought it was. With that My Very Easy thingimajig we had to learn in school and stuff.

And now it's not a plant?? :joker::joker::joker::joker:

[Sticks]

Some astronomers do not believe it should ever have been a planet. Unfortunately I could not make it to Prague for the IAU meeting, so am awaiting their report with interest.

Should be on here (http://www.iau.org)

Not that I am a member

BTW please remember for some back and forth banter there is the PM facility.

[JakeyBoy]

As you say all the time Sticks... "what do they teach you in school?" Well I was taught that it was a planet

[Sticks]

Latest comeing out of the IAU meeting in Prague (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4795755.stm)

[Slartibartfast]

Woohoo, it looks like we have 3 more planets in our solar system!! Nine has become twelve :dance:

Anyone interested in astrology or horoscopes, (load of rubbish IMO) cos that's now completely up in the air!

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Woohoo, it looks like we have 3 more planets in our solar system!! Nine has become twelve :dance:


Maybe the extra planets explain why astrology or horoscopes doesn't work!

[Slartibartfast]

You could be onto something there Red. Maybe now all those horoscopes in the papers will actually be accurate cos for years they've been basing their predictions on nine planets!!! :tongue:

But what happens in a few years time when they make a new even more powerful telescope or something and discover another bunch out there :puzzled::hugesmile:

[sol]

Sorry but I still don't get why the news reader said today that there are only 8 planets, I'm really confused on this issue. :conf:

[Slartibartfast]

Well the Channel 4 news at 7.00pm said there are now 12 (although he did mention something about not all are considered "classic planets")

I'd wait till Sticks comes online, I know very little about it :puzzled:

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by sol
Sorry but I still don't get why the news reader said today that there are only 8 planets, I'm really confused on this issue. :conf:

Think they might have got it wrong, according to Reuters there are possibly 12 planets.

Report Here (http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-08-16T182938Z_01_L16224965_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-SCIENCE-PLUTO-DC.XML)

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Slartibartfast
I'd wait till Sticks comes online, I know very little about it :puzzled:

The problem was how do you define a planet, because recent discoveries in the Keiper belt, which is way past the orbit of Pluto, have found other objects bigger than Pluto, for instance 2003 UB313. This has lead to the question of whether Pluto is misclassified as a planet, which a lot of us in the scientific community think is the case.

This is why we have the reference to the eight "classical" planets, as all these are well established, have near circular orbits and are in one ecliptic plane. Pluto is at an angle, and some times it crosses the orbit of Neptune.

The proposal so far is a fudge to keep Pluto a "planet", and it is not universally welcomed, as you can see here (http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2006/08/15/congratulations-its-a-planet/). And also these are only proposals, they have yet to be voted on, and could be voted out.

[Sticks]

As reported on the BBC website (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5282440.stm) The IAU have now officially decided, that Pluto is not a planet, but part of a new distinct catagory of dwarf planets

IAU official press release (http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0603/index.html)

Well that clears that up, there are only 8 planets

[Chrizzle]

Saw on Newsround that Pluto has officially been announced as 'not a planet' and loads of schoolbooks have to get re-written.

[Foebane100]

It was a planet now it has been down graded.

[EugeneSully]

it is now just a lump of flying rock.

[Edwin]

So now there are dwarf planets.. but that still fails to answer my question.. What makes a planet.. a planet? and theres a new one: What makes a dwarf planet, a dwarf planet?

Also, I thought Charon was a moon of pluto, how come it's now classified as a dwarf planet? Are dwarf planets not allowed moons so it's now go it's own identity? eurgh, so complicated.