Pluto No Longer A Planet

[Doogstar]

Poor Pluto, is someone taking the Mickey? Sounds Goofy to me. So it's a Minnie planet now.

[Bucknaked]

I don't think it really matters. I can't remember what order they were in, in the first place.

I'm surprised Uranus wasn't dropped. Then again, nothing worst than dropping one from Uranus :hihi:

[thefargo]

I think it is terrible, who says size doesn't matter; galactically speaking, of course?

[iCat]

Originally Posted by Doogstar

Poor Pluto, is someone taking the Mickey? Sounds Goofy to me. So it's a Minnie planet now.

That is very good!

& echoing this sentiment, I am shattered for poor Pluto .....

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by SB076

This is just discrimination against smaller planets - I for one will be fighting to have Pluto reinstated to its rightfuly place in the solar system ;)

I totally agree. For too many years small people (read: me) have been persecuted against. Now small planets are being picked on, ironically by the same nerds who would have been picked on in school (read: scientists).

The time is now to stand up and fight against this size-ism. Who is with me?!!!?!?!

[MO]

Apparently it has to do with it being small and its gravitational pull has no effect on anything around it.

As for the rhymes...been around for yonks...but just think how much its going to cost for all the educational material to be changed...these astronomers have just cost the world millions!

All for the sake of a dwarf...which reminds me what ever happened to dwarf throwing?

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by MO

Apparently it has to do with it being small and its gravitational pull has no effect on anything around it.

this is true. a planet can only be classed as a planet if it has enough gravitational pull to keep another object in orbit of said planet.
pluto does not, so therefore isnt technically a planet.

[quest]

Just as "Dwarfs" on this planet have been renamed " Little People" in the name of political correctness, Pluto deserves no less

Plutonian's must be just livid with this decision-especially since they wern't consulted!

[jim1606]

Pluto hasnt beena planet for 7-8 years

[MO]

Originally Posted by jim1606

Pluto hasnt beena planet for 7-8 years

I think you'll find that this is the official confirmation....did'nt read link I'm on dial-up.

[XRchic]

I have always enjoyed astronomy (no, not astrology). I have a few large astronomy books on my shelves which I browse here and there. I also studied astronomy in first year science at Uni, and while it was very technical, I did enjoy it.

From my limited knowledge, I think the criteria in the past for planets were as above, having enough gravitational pull to engage other bodies within its vicinity. The gravitational pull of a body is related to its mass/size and how fast it is spinning on its axis. Since it is small, and not spinning fast at all, then it cannot hold much around it.

Also, I think a factor is chemical composition. Planets usually have a relatively complex chemical and structural compostion, with some kind of heated inner core, a surrounding outer core and some kind of crust - this varies enourmously with different planets of course, but something along those lines is usually considered the go. Often the chemical composition of the inner workings of the planet also affect the electromagnetic field surrounding the planet (Van Allen Belts from memory) and this controls things like weather, climate, etc, etc (just go get the DVD The Core - wasnt too far off, and was a rough guide to that side of things). Generally heavenly bodies with that kind of inner structure, with those effects, will be planets and those without wont be. As far as I know, Pluto is pretty much a ball of random ice (water and methane from memory) and rocks in a big jumble, and it is too cold to have any kind of heated core or weather activity.

Another planet-like characteristic would be an atmosphere of some kind, although again, I think this varies a lot. This is related to other issues above, such as chemical composition (ie gases present), gravitational pull (to hold gases around the planet, and to create weather conditions by spinning), Van Allen Belts/electromagnetism (to regulate atmospheric conditions particularly those related to electricity in the atmosphere). Pluto doesnt really have any atmosphere at all, probably because it never had any gases surrounding it to start with, perhaps those elements never existed on it, and couldnt have retained them anyway.

Titan (satellite of Saturn) would probably be a better candidate for a planet than Pluto, given that it actually has an atmosphere (nitrogen mainly) and that it is larger than not only Pluto, but Mercury! It has more planet-like characteristics.

Obviously Pluto is too small, and while this in itself is not the deciding factor, its smallness relates to other issues which have an influence on its nature, such as the gravitational pull, its structure and chemical composition etc. It is basically an icy ball of lifeless rock and I dont think it is even round. It was probably an escaped, irregular shaped asteroid, or perhaps left over debris from a collision billions of years ago between a large asteroid or another planet, and something else, which was perhaps responsible for the debris that makes the rings around Jupiter, Saturn Uranus and Neptune... Who knows.

Planets are generally not lifeless balls of icy rock and since it seems that is what Pluto is, then perhaps it is a correct decision.

I would love to see pics of Pluto one day, of the quality that we have of the majority of the rest of the solar system taken by Voyager years ago. One day I think that would be facinating, regardless of how it is classified!

Anyways, just my ideas.

Jac

[iCat]

poor old Pluto. Relegated from planet status to one of lifeless icy rock. That sux!

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by iCat

poor old Pluto. Relegated from planet status to one of lifeless icy rock. That sux!

Hahaha somehow I think it will survive! And probably a few million years longer than any of us! :P

[AU2PWR]

My Very Eager Man Just Showed Me Nine Planets