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Defining "Planet"
beardoc writes "The Sydney Morning Herald is running a story today about a controversial proposal to define what size a planet might be - depending on what the final definition of how big a planet is, we could end up losing Pluto (at 2300 kilometres) to the status of "asteroid" or gaining three more planets - Quaoar, Varuna and Ceres."
... agreed to be "Marlon Brando"
If someone bothered to name a Roman god after it, it's a planet. Pluto, Mars, Jupiter--all friendly planets.
Alpha Centauri? Bah--probably a reflection off that Hubble thingy.
We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
Maybe my neighbour can be defined as the "first living planet"?
The fellows at www.lunarembassy.com have announced(on the Conan O'Brian show, no less) their interest in selling the entire planet of Pluto for about $250k. If Pluto gets downgraded to a mere asteroid or Oort-object or what not, will that lower it's real-estate value?
Planet: n. Any object orbiting a star, not orbiting a planet, and having a radius greater than the radius of Pluto minus one millimeter.
Why do they always need to complicate things. I thought size doesnt matter.
I've left to find myself. If you happen to see me, please, keep me there until I return.
As a representative one of the nine planets, I find this proposal deeply troubling, especially since there are not any other representatives from the other eight. Once a planet is classified as an "asteroid" or "floating piece of shit with gravity", it not only loses its prestige, but also, it cannot apply for federal grants, and hence, usually suffers a major economic blow. Laugh you may, but I've seen planets go from a heavenly body to a drunk spinning horizontal and finally distingrate into an asteroid belt in no time. We must support our planets because if we don't, then who will?
Is there a corresponding Sailor Senshi? If so, it's a planet. Ironically, this means that the Earth is not a planet, but the Moon is. Go figure.
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
shouldn't we call earth/moon a two-planet system
:-)
If we did that, then America would be accused of trying to be imperialistic, trying to run the cosmos, make-the-rules-for-everybody, or some crap like that
Why is there so much mention of radius and size and such. It's just so petty. I would think in this enlightened age we'd all know:
It's not the size that matters, it's how you orbit!
*Dodging tomatoes should be a sport*
The number will be rather small, so I can claim ownership of the two planets in my pants.
With the discovery over the past few decades of the Oort Cloud and Kupier Belt, it seems obvious that there are tens, if not hundreds/thousands of Pluto-sized objects out there. Obviously, we're not going to name all 10,000 of these rocks "planets." But then again, Pluto has a special place in history as the last "great" planet discovery on the level of Uranus and Neptune
Across the pond it is not considered to be on this level. Pluto is important to America, because it's the only solar planet discovered by an American astronomer. But in fact, it's not that important to anyone outside the USA. I guess this debate is pointless - if International Astronomical Union would ever dare to call Pluto a mere asteroid, George W. Bush would immediately call an airstrike on Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris, France (where those pesky European astronomers conspire against America). And no, he would need no stinkin' United Nations to approve this.
Just use the Star Trek planet classifications... Come on, it's time to make use of sci fi in astronomy for once. :-) Hmm, btw, I wonder what the heck the copyright at the top of the page is about? Courtesy JPL? Errr...
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Please define "is".
Just as you spell it.
There are two rules for success:
1. Never tell everything you know.
planet n.
1.) An object orbiting a star that is smaller than Cowboyneal's ego but larger than his mother. 2.) Cowboyneal's mother. 3.) Any large piece of rock, such as a fundie's brain.
Repeal the DMCA!
So...you're saying bears and mountains ARE or ARE NOT planets then?
Badly?
If the crew of Enterprise would use the teleporter to reach the SURFACE of it, then it's a planet, if they are teleporting to a chamber inside it, it's most likely an asteroid or something.
"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
Hallooo, my name is Linus Torvalds and I pronounce Quaoar - Quaoar !
sysadmins who name their servers after planets.
Fine for your first 2 or 3 servers, but...
Now if we could just lose the rest of Disney, our freedom might be safe.
-Miko
Miko O'Sullivan
Look down.
Look up at the Sun.
See? Earth is definitely much larger than the Sun.
No, but Uranus occasionally erupts! *ba boom*
:p
Thanks, I'll be here all night
Ok, fine. Mercury's not a planet either.
You did see this coming, right?
I remember readin that if Jupiter had just a bit mor mass, it would be a star itself, and that would certainly make things interesting. Perhaps if we start shooting out trash at jupiter....
All those AOL disks ought to be enough to ignite it.
Table-ized A.I.