Defenders of "planet Pluto" have not been appeased by its latest name-change, and are marshalling support for a major scientific meeting devoted to debating its place in the solar system.
Last week, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) designated Pluto and its cousin Eris as "plutoids". "It sounds like 'haemorrhoids'," says Alan Stern, who is chief scientist for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. He says that planetary scientists have been left out of the IAU's decision-making. Now these scientists will get the chance to present arguments for and against at "The Great Planet Debate" in August at Laurel, Maryland.
The IAU won't be obliged to accept their conclusions. "The IAU has done what it could to come forward with a working definition," says IAU general secretary Karel van der Hucht. "In the meantime, it's a free world, anybody may organise meetings on the subject."
By Invader Xan
Sat Jun 21 15:50:31 BST 2008
Didn't they come up with the word "Plutino" already?By Sett
Sat Jun 21 22:48:26 BST 2008
Pshhhh. They should just use the term Planette. Small planet, easy to read, definitely distinct and small sounding yet.... Sounds exactly the same as Planet.By Rusty
Thu Jul 03 20:00:16 BST 2008
Anyone know what the word "planet" originally meant?By Timecube
Sun Jun 22 05:04:23 BST 2008
Hmm, I wonder - could it be that dwarf planets get dwarf research funding?By Anonymous
Sat Jun 21 17:23:28 BST 2008
I agree with you, Invader Xan. This IAU debacle has done nothing more than set off tantrums amongst the overly sensistive on a completely ridiculous question of "definition". Any sufficiently dispassionate observer at the time the IAU made its deliberations (and there WERE many of them) could smell the stink approaching from a mile away.By Polemos
Sun Jun 22 12:03:17 BST 2008
Anonymouse, everybody is sick and tired of your incomprehensible longtail scribble. Go back into your hole.By Whipster
Mon Jun 23 09:22:00 BST 2008
Not at all - anonumouse made many good points.By Anonymous
Wed Jun 25 17:28:30 BST 2008
Oh, so you speak for "everybody", do you?By Polemos
Sat Jun 21 18:14:37 BST 2008
Uranium -> Neptunium -> PlutoniumBy Anonymous
Sat Jun 21 19:13:42 BST 2008
Polemos, as usual, you are a consummate disaster.By Harsh Kumar Verma
Sun Jun 22 06:13:51 BST 2008
This comment has been found to be in breach of our terms of use and has been removed.By Harsh Kumar Verma And Sc+clean Up-squad
Sun Jun 22 06:17:41 BST 2008
Oops sorry about the spelling mistakes' I was so angry ate the pluto fans and ot solve the question check the definition of a planet or dwarf planet and it is a dwarf planet just see normal hum dwarf human use a diagram like that to help solve it or just blow them all upBy Nick601
Sun Jun 22 08:35:45 BST 2008
I think blowing Pluto up is one of the more rational ideas I've heard today. It would certainly resolve the 'dwarf planet' conundrum.By A Pedant Writes
Sun Jun 22 08:32:36 BST 2008
Actually at 84.32, 164.79 and 248.09 years respectively, the orbital periods of U, N and P are best represented by 1: 1.51 : 2.94 which isn't *quite* a Fibonacci wotsit.All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
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