Science
Related: About this forumTop NASA boffin: It's time to make Pluto a proper planet again
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/24/pluto_planet_nasa/Supporters of Pluto's readmission into the Solar System as a full-blown planet got a boost from NASA's planetary scientists on Friday.
"It's very hard not to call an object with this level of complexity in its geology, and such complex seasons, a planet," said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute, during press conference about the Pluto probe's latest update.
"Astronomers and planetary scientists differ on this question but that's how science works scientists make individual decisions and consensus is reached. I think we're going through a period of transition at the moment."
Data from the New Horizons space probe has shown Pluto to be geologically active, with new glacier plains of nitrogen ice carving out new surface features and eroding away impact craters from meteor strikes.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Glad they are seeing the error of their ways.
Cosmic vengeance may be averted for their mistake, I have been told by reliable sources.
so there!
Response to steve2470 (Original post)
Warren DeMontague This message was self-deleted by its author.
gvstn
(2,805 posts)It is the fact that Pluto's orbit is not on the same plane as all the "other" planets. It just appears to be something else than a planet. There is just no way around the fact that it is not orbiting the sun the same way as the planets.
MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)Response to MillennialDem (Reply #6)
Warren DeMontague This message was self-deleted by its author.
MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)Silent3
(15,448 posts)Grandfather Pluto into the definition, make it an "honorary" planet... whatever.
A planet needs to be at least some particular size, mass, etc.
A planet has to clear its orbit.
A planet's orbit shouldn't be highly eccentric.
A planet's orbit should be within so many degrees of inclination from the ecliptic.
...Or a planet should be Pluto.
Response to Silent3 (Reply #4)
Warren DeMontague This message was self-deleted by its author.
Silent3
(15,448 posts)You did catch the , didn't you?
Response to Silent3 (Reply #9)
Warren DeMontague This message was self-deleted by its author.