Pluto

[djxatlanta]

I can't believe all this fuss from the general public about Pluto's planetary demotion. The people who are raising the most hell about it are scientifically ignorant and don't realize that the solar system is not this simple little thing that we all learned in grade school years ago. Just as the atom is not as simple as protons, neutrons and

Comments

[evilboyrobin]

You are right it is a non-issue. But for some reason just hearing it made me a little sad. Not really sure why. It isn't like it changed or dissappeared. Same reason a new discovery discovery would excite me I guess.

Not that I put much stock in Astrology but being a Scorpio, Pluto is/was suppose to be my ruling planet. So I guess it will revert back to Mars (which is was before Pluto was discovered).

[roypup]

Well, people feel tied to it because of it's romantic associations in literature and myth for thousands of years.

[evilboyrobin]

Good point. I can alway count on you to solidify what I am actually thinking, but can express in words.

[djxatlanta]

How can people be romantically attached to Pluto's status as a planet when it's been labled as such for only 75 years? The only thing the average Joe on the street knows about Pluto is that it was the furthest "planet" from the sun and that the Disney dog was named after it. As a person interested in planetary astronomy (and planetary astronomy refers to all objects in the solar system), Pluto means so much more to me on a scientific level that I appreciate its geologic diversity within the scheme of the whole solar system. Superficial fluff such as "it's my favorite planet" annoys me when the people saying it aren't aware of the true scientific beauty beyond their grasp.

Pluto hasn't changed and isn't going anywhere — it's a fascinating world, and I look forward to the first close-up images of it and Charon and Nix and Hydra in nine years.

[djxatlanta]

Oh, don't even let me get started on astrology... although let's play that game for a little bit. What qualifies as a celestial body that's able to affect you? And if Uranus and Neptune are supposedly able to affect people's horoscopes today, wouldn't horoscopes be completely off prior to 1781 and 1846 when those planets were discovered? And what about the larger asteroids? When they were discovered in the 19th century, they were considered planets for a short time and included in astrology charts.

And Pluto's demotion is a result of new discoveries — that it wasn't alone in the solar system out beyond Neptune. And new discoveries are being made about all the objects in our solar system all the time. It's just a minor semantic change is all...

[evilboyrobin]

Oh I agree with everything you are saying.

Just seems slightly sad in a way to me. As it doesn't really matter, it is odd that I can't tell why.

I can only really put it into terms from a roleplaying game that I once played called "Mage". The Verbena were all about myths and legends and they were upset when the astronaunts landed on the moon. The act of landing on the moon changed the Collective Consciencousness of Humanity and it cheapened the old myths and legends in a way.

I know I am not making much sense but it something like that.
But as it really isn't an issue, I am going to shut up now ;-)

[djxatlanta]

I think I understand what you're saying. People first resisted the mental switch from a geocentric universe to a heliocentric one... then they were upset when we realized that our sun wasn't at the center of the galaxy and were merely off to the side... and then again when our own galaxy was one of billions.

I guess it's a bit easier for me to embrace new discoveries and redefinitions since I grew up in a scientific background.

[kodiakva]

Astrology and astronomy only have so many overlapping 'objects'. I'm going to guess now that the astronomical 'redefinition' of Pluto is not going affect the astrological definition.

Hang on to your ruling planet, it still serves a purpose. Besides, have you ever run into a Scorpio that was willing to let go of something he really needed?