Pluto a Planet Again? It May Happen This Year

The Crux, Discover 'blogs ^ | February 25, 2015 | David A. Weintraub, Vanderbilt University

[SunkenCiv]

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, and NASA's Dawn spacecraft will arrive there on March 6.

Pluto is the largest object in the Kuiper belt, and NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will arrive there on July 15...

The efforts of a very small clique of Pluto-haters within the International Astronomical Union (IAU) plutoed Pluto in 2006. Of the approximately 10,000 internationally registered members of the IAU in 2006, only 237 voted in favor of the resolution redefining Pluto as a "dwarf planet" while 157 voted against; the other 9,500 members were not present...

Unlike the larger planets, however, Ceres, like Pluto, according to the IAU definition, "has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." ...Some planetary astronomers would argue that were the Earth placed in the Kuiper Belt, it would not be able to clear its neighborhood and thus would not be considered, by the IAU definition, a planet; apparently location matters. Here a planet, there not a planet...

Ceres was discovered on New Year's Day in 1801, by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, a member of an international team of astronomers dubbed the Celestial Police, who were searching for a supposedly missing planet in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter... But within a few years... William Herschel suggested that Ceres and Pallas and any other smaller solar system objects should be called asteroids... But Ceres does still stand out. It's the largest asteroid, by far, nearly 1,000 kilometers across (twice as large in diameter as Vesta, the second largest asteroid), though not perfectly spherical in shape...

[SunkenCiv]

This article was originally published on The Conversation..

image by International Astronomical Union

[SunkenCiv]

"To Pluto And Far Beyond" By David H. Levy, Parade, January 15, 2006 -- We don't have a dictionary definition yet that includes all the contingencies. In the wake of the new discovery, however, the International Astronomical Union has set up a group to develop a workable definition of planet. For our part, in consultation with several experienced planetary astronomers, Parade offers this definition: A planet is a body large enough that, when it formed, it condensed under its own gravity to be shaped like a sphere. It orbits a star directly and is not a moon of another planet.

[SunkenCiv]

Why Pluto Is a Planet, and Eris Is Too (Op-Ed)
Space.com
Jun 4, 2015
http://www.space.com/29571-why-pluto-is-a-planet-and-eris-is-too.html

[SunkenCiv]

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[gorush]

[SunkenCiv]

Did an ancient impact bowl Pluto over?
New Scientist | October 5, 2007 | Maggie McKee
Posted on 10/30/2007 7:29:02 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1918724/posts

Did Pluto Take a Punch? [from 2003]
Sky & Telescope | July 23, 2003 | Govert Schilling
Posted on 05/12/2008 9:30:55 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2014832/posts

Pluto is Undergoing Global Warming, Researchers Find [not man-made]
Massachussetts Institute of Technology
Astronomy Dept (w. Lowell Observatory)
October 9, 2002 | Massachussets Inst. of Technology News Office
Posted on 01/26/2007 8:57:45 AM PST by Moseley
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1774174/posts

[Snickering Hound]

[Night Hides Not]

An unintended effect of global warming.

[seawolf101]

Pluto is the Rodney Dangerfield of planets.

[SeeSharp]

LOL. Science by voting.

[Parley Baer]

I think Pluto should be “grandfathered” in as a planet. They should have just left it alone.

[SunkenCiv]

• Pluto a Planet Again? It May Happen This Year [2015]
• Pluto's Moons Tumble in Orbit, Hubble Measurements Reveal [2015]
• Weird Orbital Behaviors Offer Clues to the Origins of Pluto's Moons [2015]
• The Dwarf Planet Eris [2015]
• NASA's New Horizons Sees More Detail as It Draws Closer to Pluto [2015]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Approaching Pluto [2015]
• Latest images of Pluto may show a polar ice cap [2015]
• NASA probe nearing close encounter with unexplored Pluto [2015]
• Public asked to help name features on Pluto [2015]
• New Horizons spots Pluto's smaller moons for the first time [2015]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Solar System Portrait [2015]
• The Moment We've been Waiting For: First New Images of Pluto from New Horizons [2015]
• Refuting The Laws of Physics, Part 1 of 2 [2015]
• New Horizons probe eyes Pluto for historic encounter [2015]
• The Dark Energy Survey Begins to Reveal Previously Unknown Trans-Neptunian Objects [2015]
• Spacecraft Bound for Pluto Set to Awake Nine Years After Launch [2014]
• Pluto's Closeup Will Be Awesome Based On Jupiter Pics From New Horizons Spacecraft [2014]
• Spacecraft Bound for Pluto Set to Awake Nine Years After Launch [2014]
• Dawn Spacecraft Will Take Pictures Of Its Target Asteroid Today [2014]
• Watch Pluto and Charon Engage in Their Orbital Dance [2014]
• New planet nicknamed after Biden [2014]
• The Obama Legacy in Planetary Exploration [2014]
• Venetia Burney, the 11 year old girl who named Pluto [2013]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Pluto's Newly Discovered Moons Receive Names [2013]
• Pluto moons get mythical new names [2013]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Humanity Explores the Solar System [2013]
• Pluto's 'Gate to Hell' uncovered in Turkey [2013]
• Archaeologists uncover ancient 'gate to hell' in Turkey [2013]
• 'Vulcan' Leads Poll To Name Pluto's Moon [2013]
• 2 Pluto Moons in Need of Devilish Names [2013]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Fifth Moon Discovered Orbiting Pluto [2012]
• Hubble Telescope Spies Fifth Moon Around Pluto [2012]
• Pluto's moons offer clues to extrasolar planets around dual-star systems [2012]
• Just A Three Year Cruise Left Before Pluto Flyby [2012]
• Astronomers Predict That Pluto Has A Ring [2011]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Pluto's P4 [2011]
• Hubble Discovers a New Moon Around Pluto [2011]
• NASA's Hubble Discovers Another Moon Around Pluto [2011]
• Branson buys Pluto, reinstates as planet [2011]
• Night Sky Query [2011]
• Brian Marsden dies at 73; astronomer who tracked comets and asteroids [2010]
• Blushing Pluto? Dwarf planet takes on a ruddier hue: NASA [2010]
• Planet Definition Doesn't Apply Beyond Solar System [2010]
• Hubble is back, and it's seeing fine [ignore the shilling for Mikulski] [2009]
• Is Pluto a planet after all? [2009]
• Venetia Phair Dies at 90; as a girl, She Named Pluto [2009]
• Vanity: Orlando Sentinel endorses Barack Obama for president [2008]
• Astronomers Find a New "Minor Planet" near Neptune [2008]
• Pluto Now Called a Plutoid [2008]
• Did Pluto Take a Punch? [from 2003] [2008]
• Demoted planet, dejected boy:A student pines for Pluto to be restored to its former planetary status [2007]
• Did an ancient impact bowl Pluto over? [2007]
• An Unknown Planet Orbits in the Outer Solar System [2007]
• Pluto status suffers another blow (Pluto Gets "plutoed" again!) [2007]
• A Goofball Called Pluto [2007]
• Pluto-Bound New Horizons Provides New Look at Jupiter System [2007]
• Astronomers swarm southern Ariz. to watch as Pluto blots out star [2007]
• It's a Planet If We Say It's a Planet (NM Legislature restores Pluto's status) [2007]
• New Horizons Probe Approaching Jupiter Fly-By, Slingshot [2007]
• New Horizons Movie Trailer [2007]
• [MIT Astronomers] Pluto is Undergoing Global Warming, Researchers Find [not man-made] [2007]
• Probe nears close encounter with Jupiter [2007]
• What's a Planet? New riddles beyond the solar system [2006]
• Why Planets Will Never Be Defined [2006]
• Gabler: Media Have 'Tread Lightly' on Rush The 'Cancer' [2006]
• Introducing Asteroid #134340 (a.k.a. Pluto) [2006]
• Pluto is Now Just a Number: 134340 [2006]
• Interview with the IAU President on Pluto's Demotion [2006]
• Planetary Politics: Protecting Pluto [2006]
• Ex-Planet [Pluto] Gets a Morale Boost in Madison, WI [2006]
• Gabler's Gripe: Karr Crimped Katrina Coverage [2006]
• The Fight for Pluto Rages On [2006]
• Pluto Demoted, Bush Blamed [2006]
• Windows on the World [2006]
• Pluto's Demotion as Cautionary Tale [Lileks] [2006]
• Demote Pluto, or demote "planet"? [2006]
• Vote Makes It Official: Pluto Isn't What It Used to Be [2006]
• Pluto can still be in our gang: Seven Dwarfs [2006]
• DFU SONG: Also Sprach Zarathustra -- from 2001 A Space Odyssey (Bush loses Pluto!) [2006]
• Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet (Eight Planets) [2006]
• Pluto no longer considered a planet [2006]
• Astronomers in a Quandary Over Pluto's Planet Status [pluto a goner?] [2006]
• Planet Debate Heats Up (ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE) [2006]
• The celestial fraud [2006]
• Pluto's Planet Status / String Theory [2006]
• Pluto's Brave New Worlds (Astronomers' Org. Proposal: There Are Now At Least 12 Planets) [2006]
• Pluto faces expulsion from planetary league [2006]
• Experts' vote could mean demotion for Pluto [2006]
• Jacob rips Cannon, Bush (proposes a Disneyland type of fast pass for immigration) [2006]
• The Difference Between Fallen Angels, Demons, Aliens, Jedi, and the Watchers [2006]
• Is the Space Probe to Pluto a Sign of Our Saviour's Return? [2006]
• 'Tenth Planet' found to be a whopper [2006]
• Solar system '10th planet' is bigger than Pluto [2006]
• Possible new planet is larger than Pluto-research (Reuters demonstrates their ignorance yet again) [2006]
• New Planet Is Bigger Than Pluto [2006]
• The Flying Crowbar [Project Pluto: nastiest weapon ever conceived?] [2006]
• New Horizons -- Nine years to Pluto [2006]
• To Pluto and Beyond...NASA's Pluto probe launches [2006]
• Live Thread: Rescheduled Launch of New Horizons Mission to Pluto [2006]
• The good, the bad and the ugly [2006]
• New Horizons Launch Scrubbed for Today (Pluto Mission) [2006]
• LIVE THREAD: New Horizons Launch 2:30pm ET (Mission to Pluto & Kuiper Belt) [2006]
• NASA Set to Launch Spacecraft to Pluto [2006]
• Mission to Pluto set to launch Tuesday [2006]
• Trip to Pluto to Take at Least 9 Years (New Horizons) [2006]
• 2012: the piano-sized 'New Horizons' probe of NASA nears Pluto (will it find ET there?) [2006]
• Moonbats Protest Launch [2006]
• Rethinking the Planets [2005]
• NASA Prepares To Launch First Probe To The Kuiper Belt [2005]
• Next Month, We Aim to Fly! [2005]
• Pluto Has Three Moons, Hubble Images Show [2005]
• Tenth Planet Has a Moon! [2005]
• 10 Planets? Why Not 11? [2005]
• Astronomers Find a New Planet in Solar System [2005]
• Distant object found orbiting Sun [2005]
• Pluto Mission Takes Aim at Last Unvisited Planet [2005]
• Pluto celebrates anniversary [2005]
• Probe To 'Look Inside' Asteroids [2004]
• Oh Brother! Yoga For Peace..(Please Get A Job Alert!) [2004]
• Scientists Find an Icy World Beyond Pluto [2004]
• Distant 'Planetoid' Seen in Our Solar System (Parody) [2004]
• Reworked images reveal hot Venus [2004]
• Batteries created for deep-space exploration -- NASA to send an exploration device to Pluto. [2003]
• New Surprises from Mysterious Pluto [2003]
• Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission Moves Ahead! NASA given the Go-Ahead! [2003]
• Having Pups Over Pluto And The Planetary Misfits Of The Kuipers [2003]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day 9-11-02 [2002]
• Full Impact Of Contour Mission Destruction Remains To Be Seen [contour comet spacecraft] [2002]
• Pluto undergoing Global Warming [2002]
• Hubble Telescope Photographs Seven Objects Traveling In Pairs Beyond Pluto [2002]
• Plutonium's Promise Will Find Pluto Left Out In The Cold [2002]

[M Kehoe]

If Uranus can be a planet, then I vote for Pluto being a planet...unless Uranus is occupied by Klingons.

5.56mm

[Billthedrill]

It may have nothing to do with it, but a message appeared at NASA headquarters reading, “The last creeps that took my planetary status away were the dinosaurs. Remember them? Didn’t think so. Just a word to the wise. Yer bud, Pluto.”

[Moonman62]

Raj: I think he’s eating lunch. Uh, Sheldon, I want you to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson from the Hayden Planetarium in New York.

Sheldon: I’m quite familiar with Dr. Tyson. He’s responsible for the demotion of Pluto from planetary status. I liked Pluto. Ergo I do not like you.

Dr Tyson: But I actually didn’t demote Pluto. That was a vote of the International Astronomical Union.

Sheldon: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas. Think about that, Dr. Tyson.

[TontoKowalski]

You know, that is an elegant position.

I know Pluto was my favorite planet as a kid. Demoting Pluto just disappointed and alienated young children who are at the age to develop an interest in science.

And, to coin a completely original phrase, "What difference does it make?"

[Phlyer]

There's at least one error in the article. Pluto is not the largest of the Kuiper Belt objects. It's actually in third place among those which have been discovered so far.

That's significant, because the issue is not really, "Should Pluto be reclassified as a planet?" The issue is, "Should *all* the Kuiper Belt objects that are about the same size as Pluto, plus Ceres, be classified as planets?" The problem is that there is no good place to 'draw a line' that includes Pluto as a planet and doesn't include the others.

Personally, I'd be satisfied with some sort of definition that says any body which is large enough to have gravity pull itself into a spherical shape and does not orbit another planet can be called a planet. That means we have a least 12 planets, and probably more. The line that they drew is just another option.

One comment in the article is relevant. The Earth - though it is the largest of the 'rocky' planets - is only marginally large enough to meet the definition. Working the math shows that the sun's gravitational pull on our moon is greater than the Earth's and the moon's motion is never retrograde with respect to the sun. In fact, the moon's orbit is always curving toward the sun, even when the curvature is larger than the Earth's orbit (so that the moon moves away from the sun relative to the Earth). So, has the Earth 'cleaned out it's orbital region' of other objects?

At least all this discussion on whether Pluto should be considered a planet has gotten a few people in the general public interested in the planets for a while.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[TontoKowalski]

Sheldon is right!

As he so often is.

It seems like BBT has been on television quite a bit lately, so I've been binging on old episodes. Such a funny program!

[SunkenCiv]

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EightTNOsCzech.png