So, Ten Planets then?

[sayak83]

Often, Science folk have the most worthless discussions, and for what? I don't care if poor Pluto is a Planet or an Asteroid, not one bit. The most interesting thing I heard the other day is that the Moon is hollow. So what?

My biggest complaint right now is that no font set I know of places the "! and the ?" one space out from the body of the sentence. How frustrating !!!

Even counting Mr. Pluto, I am not getting upto 10 planets. Which one is the tenth?
Pluto is a planet according to the definition I think is logical. A celestial body is a planet if and only if,
1) It revolves around a star
2) It itself is not a star
3) Has enough mass to coalesce as a spherical shaped body.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Even counting Mr. Pluto, I am not getting upto 10 planets. Which one is the tenth?
Pluto is a planet according to the definition I think is logical. A celestial body is a planet if and only if,
1) It revolves around a star
2) It itself is not a star
3) Has enough mass to coalesce as a spherical shaped body.

By that definition Ceres is a planet. As are the planetoids found outside of Pluto. Most of the moons could be argued to be planets to since even though they orbit planets, they also orbit the Sun.

 

[sayak83]

By that definition Ceres is a planet. As are the planetoids found outside of Pluto. Most of the moons could be argued to be planets to since even though they orbit planets, they also orbit the Sun.

I would agree that Ceres is a planet.
Moons orbit around planets. But I am in favor of using the terminology "planetary moons" for the large spherical significant moons (like ours, Titan, Europa etc.) and "satellites" for the lesser bodies.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Even counting Mr. Pluto, I am not getting upto 10 planets. Which one is the tenth?
Pluto is a planet according to the definition I think is logical. A celestial body is a planet if and only if,
1) It revolves around a star
2) It itself is not a star
3) Has enough mass to coalesce as a spherical shaped body.

9?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I saw a News Piece today where the writer said that some are suggesting that it was a mistake to take away Pluto's Planet status. How inane.

It's not really inane but a debate of if Pluto really is a planet or just an object of the Kuiper Belt. If Pluto is a planet, then it could potentially mean we have dozens, if not hundreds of planets in the solar system because there are many Pluto-like objects floating around in the furthest reaches of this Solar system.
And that's what makes science great. If we aren't sure, we can debate it, ponder facts, ask more questions, and adjust things when necessary as we learn new things.
And FYI, the debate of Pluto has not stopped since it was first "demoted" from a planet status.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I would agree that Ceres is a planet.
Moons orbit around planets. But I am in favor of using the terminology "planetary moons" for the large spherical significant moons (like ours, Titan, Europa etc.) and "satellites" for the lesser bodies.

as long as your classification system is consistent it will work. Right now the definition of a planet is a bit more restrictive than yours is. The pendulum may swing back your way. But until it does I will stick with the current definition.

 

[sayak83]

as long as your classification system is consistent it will work. Right now the definition of a planet is a bit more restrictive than yours is. The pendulum may swing back your way. But until it does I will stick with the current definition.

The current controversy has occurred because Pluto is geologically and climatologically active, which makes the planetary sciences directly applicable to Pluto (as it does to the planetary moons of course). Also the friendly heart emoji has something to do with. Why "unfriend" the friendliest planet on the solar system?

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Even counting Mr. Pluto, I am not getting upto 10 planets. Which one is the tenth?
Pluto is a planet according to the definition I think is logical. A celestial body is a planet if and only if,
1) It revolves around a star
2) It itself is not a star
3) Has enough mass to coalesce as a spherical shaped body.

Niburu, obviously.

 

[sayak83]

It's not really inane but a debate of if Pluto really is a planet or just an object of the Kuiper Belt. If Pluto is a planet, then it could potentially mean we have dozens, if not hundreds of planets in the solar system because there are many Pluto-like objects floating around in the furthest reaches of this Solar system.
And that's what makes science great. If we aren't sure, we can debate it, ponder facts, ask more questions, and adjust things when necessary as we learn new things.
And FYI, the debate of Pluto has not stopped since it was first "demoted" from a planet status.

Pluto punches well above its size.

 

[LuisDantas]

Even counting Mr. Pluto, I am not getting upto 10 planets. Which one is the tenth?

Good question.

1 to 3: Mercury, Venus, Earth
4 to 6: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
7 to 8: Uranus, Neptune
9: ?
10: Pluto (depending on how it is categorized)

The tenth may be Ceres, or the unformed planet that would be in the asteroid belt.

 

[SalixIncendium]

We have 8 planets and 6 recognized dwarf planets in our solar system (though there are likely many more dwarf planets). I'm surprised that I didn't see any mention of Eris, ITT. Although it is nearly twice the distance from the sun, it is larger than Pluto.

Dwarf Planets of Our Solar System (Infographic)

 

[Earthling]

No one has suggested Pluto is an asteroid.

I think you missed her point.

 

[YmirGF]

I describe it as a planetoid.

Or... the little rock that could!

 

[Revoltingest]

If Pluto really wants to be taken seriously as a planet,
it should stop fooling around. Mature planets have
rings or big red spots or sophisticated precession.

 

[Subduction Zone]

If Pluto really wants to be taken seriously as a planet,
it should stop fooling around. Mature planets have
rings or big red spots or sophisticated precession.

So that is how it got its name.

What do you have on Venus?

 

[Wu Wei]

How is it that Goofy is human-like,
but Pluto is a full blown dog?
Science fails to deliver an answer!

and how do you think that makes Pluto feel...Goofy gets invited in for lunch at the table...Pluto is left outside to eat out of his dog bowl and his dog house

 

[Revoltingest]

So that is how it got its name.

What do you have on Venus?

Serious planet....
- Mysterious because of thick atmosphere
- Runaway greenhouse hot, hot, hot.

The ancients considered calling it "Hotlanta", but the name was already taken.

 

[Wu Wei]

Often, Science folk have the most worthless discussions, and for what? I don't care if poor Pluto is a Planet or an Asteroid, not one bit. The most interesting thing I heard the other day is that the Moon is hollow. So what?

My biggest complaint right now is that no font set I know of places the "! and the ?" one space out from the body of the sentence. How frustrating !!!

INTERROBANG (U+203D) Font Support

 

[Revoltingest]

and how do you think that makes Pluto feel...Goofy gets invited in for lunch at the table...Pluto is left outside to eat out of his dog bowl and his dog house

Clearly, the Kuiper Belt is where unwanted pets are banished.

 

[Wu Wei]

Serious planet....
- Mysterious because of thick atmosphere
- Runaway greenhouse hot, hot, hot.

The ancients considered calling it "Hotlanta", but the name was already taken.

But then they named it Torridia but it was stricken from the record during the Council of Nicaea due to other, less Christian, uses of the word torrid.