the great debate

[athenaleigh]

So, um, there's this debate about... what exactly constitutes a "planet." Who better to decide than the IAU - that is, the International Astronomical Union (filled with officialness)? And what of Pluto? The Planet Definition Committee, formed by the IAU, has come up with a proposition. It's got to be a certain size, orbiting the sun, and round. Why

Comments

[charmisjess]

Ooh, I'm excited to hear this!! I went to a lecture back at LC about all of this...and I was quite disappointed to hear Pluto darling had been knocked off the list of planets! (Apparently I wasn't the only one, either. The speakers said the guy who decided/discovered this got all this hate mail from little kids, like "why do you hate pluto?! it was my favorite planet!"----hee, but, so, that's good.

I can't believe Charon is a planet now! O.o That's pretty hot. Double-planet system sounds awesome, so Star Warsian. So, by these new standards, pretty much a whole bunch of Kepler (I'm probably spelling that wrong. All the junk beyond Pluto) Belt Objects qualify as planets? Oh, I sure hope Xena and Gabriel pass naming. :D She's be a good planet. I think so long as we're naming bodies in our solar system after amusing pop culture, we need an Alderaan. :D

I totally read "Small Solar System Bodies" as Small Solar System Buddies. ;)

Thanks for the info!! I love the idea of a space journal! I'd friend that!!

[athenaleigh]

You're so funny, you know? I adore you. Heehee. Well, it's not quite official yet, but it seems pretty final. A lot more so than nothing at all. I know! Pluto is so a planet! Now it's an extra-special planet, so myeh. Yeah, there's a whole bunch of what they call now Transneptunian objects they're going to be looking into as well as a couple of larger asteroids. Actually, Xena is a temporary name, I think it's some sort of ice goddess or something, like Sedna. Anyway, hey check out starofelbereth. It will probably be mostly stuff crossposted here, but I've already added onto last night's post, so we'll see. Thanks.

[charmisjess]

*g* I adore you too, a lot.

Okay, I'm probably confusing Kepler with Transneptunian. *amused* In the lecture they talked about some kind of belt thingie.

*laughing* The lady at the lecture said it was Xena like Xena the Warrior Princess, and her moon was Gabriel, like Xena's lesbian lover sidekick. ;)

But I think yeah, probably some kind of mythological significance too, besides old 90's shows. Of course, the lady could have been full of crap, too.

I friended Star!!