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New Moon Found Orbiting Neptune
Dave Knott writes "A tiny, previously unknown moon circling Neptune has been spotted by astronomers using the Hubble telescope. The moon, which is currently known as S/2004 N1, was found on July 1 by Mark Showalter of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., NASA announced Monday. It is less than 20 kilometres wide and its orbit is 105,000 kilometres from Neptune, between those of Larissa and Proteus, two of Neptune's other 14 known moons. It circles Neptune once every 23 hours."
Thinking of 'planets' and 'moons' is all nineteenth century 'science' - the edge of ascribing to God's plan and capturing everything observable in orderly lists, so that school-children have something to recite in groups: five continents, five senses, five races, seven seas, seven wonders of the ancient world, order species genus family class kingdom, and nine planets.
In reality, things don't work out that way.
Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.
Remember, Pluto was only a "planet" because we didn't realize it was an instance of a much larger class of KBOs. Now it appears to be more like a cluster of bits orbiting a mutual center, different from the planets and their moons, which have an orbital center deep inside the respective planets. Even without the companion bits, though, it's still a KBO.
Also, we once found a "planet" (Ceres) between Mars and Jupiter, and then another (Pallas), and then came Vesta and Hygiea. And then we realized that what was in between Mars and Jupiter was an asteroid belt.
We don't go around demanding Ceres be called a planet again because (a) it isn't, and (b) all the people who may have thought of it that was are now dead. This 'Pluto Restoration Society' will go away when those that can't adjust their mind to the reality of the universe die off. See Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions".
Also, we once found a "planet" (Ceres) between Mars and Jupiter, and then another (Pallas), and then came Vesta and Hygiea. And then we realized that what was in between Mars and Jupiter was an asteroid belt.
The asteroids were known long before Pluto was discovered, though. And classified as asteroids for over a century by then.
As for which one was discovered first, Ceres was the first registered, but there are historic data hinting at Vesta having been known in earlier times - it's at times visible to the naked eye.
Remember, Pluto was only a "planet" because we didn't realize it was an instance of a much larger class of KBOs.
No, Pluto was a planet because it was a predicted discovery - it was named a planet before it was discovered. Percival Lowell calculated a possible path for "the missing planet" based on what looked like discrepancies in Neptune's orbit.
Clyde Tombaugh then found "it", and was convinced it was Lowell's Planet X. That what he found near where the incorrect calculations pointed wasn't going to have any noticeable effect on Neptune's orbit didn't stop Lowell Observatory and the press from calling it a planet. Remember that this was Rah-Rah-Amerikah, and one shouldn't let pesky things like facts stand in the way of self-aggrandizement and national pride.
There was no astronomical definition for "planet" at the time. Nationalism had nothing to do with it. I'm sure just about any nation is pleased when their scientists make discoveries, and with the knowledge at the time and high popularity of astronomy with the public the response was to be expected. You're looking at this through the lens of a modern elitist.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.