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Definition of Planet to be Announced in September

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bigger-than-a-breadbox dept.

MasaMuneCyrus writes "After over seven years of debating, the International Astronomical Union announced that it expects to announce the official definition of a planet in September. After many-a-deadlock, they handed the task of deciding exactly what a planet is to a new committee, which includes historians and educators. 'They wanted a different perspective from that of planetary scientists,' said Edward Bowell, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory who is also vice president of the IAU's Division III-Planetary Systems Sciences group. If all goes according to plan, the wording will be proposed in their 12-day General Assembly meeting in Prague."

9 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. That's no moon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ....or is it? :-P

  2. In October... by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... debian-legal will notice that Earth is not a planet under the new definition.

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    http://outcampaign.org/
    1. Re:In October... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Under the new definition there are no planets. Jupiter and the other gas giants are being defined as brown dwarves and Pluto is a comet. Earth and the other rocky former planets are being called "merged asteroid masses". In the end it was far easier to explain away the existing planets than to define what is a planet. Since no known bodies fit the current nondefinition of a planet it has been declared that there are infact no known planets so extrasolar life is impossible given the lack of planets to house said life. The new findings were applauded for clarifying and simplifying science. Now that it is known that there are no planets no further NASA funds shall be wasted on studying nonexistent planets including the Asteroid "Mars". The savings will be spent on more important scientific work, military satelites.

  3. Re:Will they finally discount pluto? by Shrithe · · Score: 3, Funny

    Pluto, judging by your orbit, I'd say you've had a bit too much to drink tonight. C'mon, I'll call you a taxi home. No hard feelings.

  4. Re:anyone want to place bets on by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Vowels:

    a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y

    Planets:

    Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and SOMETIMES Pluto

    Why waste any more time (or money) on this? Add "sometimes Ceres" et al. if you want. Doesn't matter
    what you call it, its still a hunk of rock in space (except for the ones that aren't hunks of rock, but I digress).

  5. Re:It took them seven years... by MrMr · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think it's a great definition:

    I now officially qualify for planethood.

  6. a letter to iau by Punch-Drunk+Slob · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear IAU, You suck. Love, Merriam-Webster

    --
    By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes: Open, locks, whoever knocks!
  7. Re:Definition of a planet by BaseLineNL · · Score: 3, Funny
    WooHoo! I'm a planet!

    Be careful man. Before you know it NASA has rovers rolling all over your ass.
  8. Rock, Paper, Scissors by Phreakiture · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe they should break the deadlock over Pluto by playing one (1) game of Rock, Paper Scissors.

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