Cully Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 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. Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's. Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit the sun — "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afro poppa Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 wow.I thought just a few days ago they were gonna add a whole bunch of planets?? what happened to that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Shit. I hope my elementary school teacher doesn't re-evaluate my science project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Car bumper stickers compelling motorists to "Honk if Pluto is still a planet" have gone on sale over the internet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyp Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 wow.I thought just a few days ago they were gonna add a whole bunch of planets?? what happened to that?I don't know. But my guess would be that if Pluto was to be technically considered a planet, then a bunch of other bodies would also be technically planets. So rather than opening up the 'club', they went with a more conservative definition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balogna pogna Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Two Words....Fuck Pluto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 This is fucking bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveThe Owl Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 Good grief! What'll this do to my astrology charts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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