2003 Ub 313: The Incredible Shrinking Planet?, No bigger than Pluto? |
2003 Ub 313: The Incredible Shrinking Planet?, No bigger than Pluto? |
Guest_BruceMoomaw_* |
Jan 31 2006, 09:20 PM
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Apr 12 2006, 03:41 AM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8789 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
The IAU & everyone else has to face up to one fundamental fact: the objects in the Solar System exist along a continuum of sizes, from individual hydrogen atoms to Jupiter. Defining what is and is not a planet will always be a purely arbitrary convention by any objective standard, except for the apparent distinction that a planet has to independently orbit the Sun. Maybe it's time to throw out the concept entirely...?
Well, short of that heresy, maybe we just need to distinguish between "major" and "minor" planets. If that definition were adopted, I'd say that Mercury becomes the standard minimum body, and we have eight major planets. (Let's face it: it's embarrassing that Pluto is only half the size of the Moon!) -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Apr 12 2006, 01:46 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
Defining what is and is not a planet will always be a purely arbitrary convention by any objective standard, except for the apparent distinction that a planet has to independently orbit the Sun. Independently? Well, that rules out the Earth-Moon binary system then. ;-) Andy |
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