Treehouse -> Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet

Astronomers say Pluto is not a planet

Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

Narada

Posted: Aug 24 2006, 09:58 AM

Administrator

Group: Admin
Posts: 265
Member No.: 1
Joined: 19-November 05

QUOTE (Associated Press)

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is - and isn't - a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.

Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell - a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings - urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.

"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.

The decision by the prestigious international group spells out the basic tests that celestial objects will have to meet before they can be considered for admission to the elite cosmic club.

For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Full article here.

--------------------

0 User(s) are reading this topic (0 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)

0 Members:

« Next Oldest | News | Next Newest »

Close Topic Options

Track this topic
Receive email notification when a reply has been made to this topic and you are not active on the board.

Subscribe to this forum
Receive email notification when a new topic is posted in this forum and you are not active on the board.

Download / Print this Topic
Download this topic in different formats or view a printer friendly version.