Why Pluto Still Matters

StartsWithABang writes Nearly a century ago, Pluto was discovered, and for 48 years it remained the only known object whose orbit takes it beyond the gravitational pull of Neptune. In a single generation, we've now discovered more than 1,000 additional objects in the Kuiper Belt, but does that make Pluto any less special? Here's a strong argument for why Pluto might matter now more than ever.

Comments

Great summary

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's a strong argument for why Pluto might matter now more than ever.

Maybe, just maybe, this is something that could've been added to the summary.

I think i agree

[Poorcku]

The arguments in favor of Pluto are purely subjective, and are mostly related to the core-self identity of the writer. The funny part is that I subscribe completely. And perhaps this psychological factor should matter in this case alone.

What abot Goofy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, Goofy as s Mickey's friend, right? He's clearly a canine.

Then how can Mickey also have a pet dog?

And what about the fucking horses?

Sentimental claptrap

[Anonymous Coward]

Pluto is what it is. We have a probe about to visit so that's great. I detest the IAU definition of a planet not because Pluto isn't included but because it is an ill thought out inconsistent mess that was voted in on the last day of the IAU conference when most of the voting members had gone one after discarding a front runner definition that made a lot more sense and was more subjective. Yes it made Pluto a planet but so what!?

The definition they did accept in the end has a LOT wrong with it:
It explictly mentions the sun so extrasolar planets aren't planets.
It defines dwarf planet such that a dwarf planet is not a planet (very confusing especially for a definition intended for lay people).
It defines a planet that has not cleared it's path as not being a planet. Well what about the Trojan Asteroids and Jupiter? Is Jupiter not a planet?
They're just some of the highlights. The definition is a complete mess.

Mickey Mouse was in court suing Minnie for divorce

[Anonymous Coward]

The judge stated, "Mr. Mouse, I can't see fit to approve your divorce petition based solely on your opinion that your wife Minnie is crazy; in this state you have to have a valid cause for divorce."
Mickey replied, "Your honor, with all due respect, I didn't say she's crazy -- I said she's fucking Goofy!"

Not worth reading

[toxygen01]

Even though I'm a huge fan of space and astronomy, I must say TFA certainly doesn't reach qualities to be posted on slashdot. The approver must have been drunk or what

Re:Not worth reading

[tommeke100]

typical click-bait: "read here why Pluto still matters...."
How about giving a real abstract on why it matters on the Slashdot post and people can click through for reference and details if they want to.

Re:Not worth reading

[Will.Woodhull]

Having RTFA, it is evident to me that the reason the abstract lacked any redeeming quality of any kind is because the article itself had no redeeming quality of any kind.

Slashdot: I wasted several minutes of my life reading TFA. I want them back.

Re:Once a planet, always a planet

[Paradise Pete]

Once a planet, always a planet

Modulo Alderaan, of course.

Re:Once a planet, always a planet

[umafuckit]

Do you consider Ceres a planet? Because until more recently it, and IIRC one or two other asteriods, were considered planets. Today, hardly anyone has hard of Ceres. Ceres got demoted what it was realised that was simply a large object among millions that shared its orbit. It's the same for Pluto.

I am Pluto?

[buchner.johannes]

But I think there’s something even more compelling at play here: most of us learn about Pluto as children, and as a child, Pluto reminded me of myself. It’s smaller than all the other planets, and it was the newest one to come along. To me, it represented all the undiscovered mysteries, all that was still unknown, and the hope that someday, it might matter more. I was actually rooting, as a kid, for Pluto to be bigger than Mercury, simply because I wanted it to be more important in some measurable way. And because it took longer to orbit the Sun than everything else, because it was different from all the other planets in practically every way, I truly believed it was special.

It’s been some thirty-odd years since I was that child, learning about Pluto for the first time, and in those same thirty-odd years, our estimation of the Solar System has grown to make it a larger, more well-known place. But in that same time, I’ve grown, too, and the most important lesson I’ve learned about Pluto—that I would have told my young self if I could—is this:

The fact that there are other things out there that are bigger, smarter, faster, stronger, or better than you, in any regard, in absolutely no way diminishes how special you are.

Compare that to Neil deGrasse Tyson:

Pluto is not a planet. GET OVER IT!

Maybe there is something to it and astronomy should incorporate peoples feelings in their classifications. Probably not.
But maybe in the communication? Actually i think they could have classified planets in "Big planets" and "Dwarf planets" instead of making "dwarf planets" not a subclass of "planets".

Re:I am Pluto?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

You shouldn't anthropomorphize planets. They hate when you do that.

Re:I am Pluto?

[slimshady76]

I believe they like to be called "little planets" rather than "dwarf" ones. Political correctness please!

Re:I am Pluto?

[The Grim Reefer]

Ceres thoughts on Pluto.

Re:I am Pluto?

[T.E.D.]

Pluto is not anthropomorphized. He's antropomorphic Mickey's dog.

Caninopomorphized then?

"beyond the gravitational pull of Neptune"

[tal_mud]

"... for 48 years it remained the only known object whose orbit takes it beyond the gravitational pull of Neptune."

Wow! A truly distinct object. Even remote galaxies aren't "beyond the gravitational pull of Neptune." which drops off as 1/R^2 out to infinity but never disappears. I wonder what makes Pluto unique?

Sentimental nonsense.

[Anonymous Coward]

Pluto still matters because it is the most well studied known Kuiper belt object and we are finally about to get a good look at it.

Re:Once a planet, always a planet

[ZeRu]

. Today, hardly anyone has hard of Ceres..

Thank goodness, I would be worried for myself if seeing any celestial object would gave me a hard (unless they looked like a beautiful women which they generally don't, but even in that case, I would rather stare at a beautiful woman instead).

Re:Why Pluto matters most?

[Curunir_wolf]

FTA:

The fact that there are other things out there that are bigger, smarter, faster, stronger, or better than you, in any regard, in absolutely no way diminishes how special you are.

So it's important because it's a special little snowflake, just like the millennials have been taught to think of themselves. Yea, well, guess what? You're not special. And neither is Pluto.