So, Ten Planets then?

[GoodbyeDave]

Any sensible classification has a purpose, so different purposes need different classifications. To a biologist, an octopus is not a fish, but people who catch octopuses are fishermen and the people who sell them are fishmongers.

I can see the reasoning behind the reclassification of Pluto, although I think the question of long-term orbital stability should be involved in the definition of a planet. Unfortunately, that's a bit hard to predict!

Luckily for me, I deal with planets as an astrologer, not an astronomer. If you need it in a chart for accurate results, it's a planet. Thanks to Pluto, astrologers predicted the collapse of the USSR a decade before it happened, which no-one else managed. On that basis, Pluto is in; Ceres, Chiron, and the like are out.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

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 !!!

I've just noticed that bit. I too like the old-style typography, with a thin space before : ; ! ? Of course printers put them in by hand, as French compositors did with « » The answer in a wordprocessor is probably the auto-replacement function, although I just do it by hand.

 

[sayak83]

Any sensible classification has a purpose, so different purposes need different classifications. To a biologist, an octopus is not a fish, but people who catch octopuses are fishermen and the people who sell them are fishmongers.

I can see the reasoning behind the reclassification of Pluto, although I think the question of long-term orbital stability should be involved in the definition of a planet. Unfortunately, that's a bit hard to predict!

Luckily for me, I deal with planets as an astrologer, not an astronomer. If you need it in a chart for accurate results, it's a planet. Thanks to Pluto, astrologers predicted the collapse of the USSR a decade before it happened, which no-one else managed. On that basis, Pluto is in; Ceres, Chiron, and the like are out.

When will China collapse? Date and time please.
Who will be the Democrat presidential candidate in the next election?

 

[ChristineM]

Out of curiosity, what do Astrophysicists disagree about Pluto being a planetoid?

You may find this explains all
Why is Pluto no longer a planet?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

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.

Nibiru. But don't tell anyone that I ever said that.

 

[shunyadragon]

Pluto has been reduced to the status of Dwarf planet. I heard however that he is officially protesting the demotion.

. . . with legal council from Mickey and Minnie.

 

[Ellen Brown]

When will China collapse? Date and time please.
Who will be the Democrat presidential candidate in the next election?

Perhaps it is more likely that America will collapse before China if our politicians do not pull their fingers out. President Eisenhower warned us about the abusive power of the Military/Industrial complex, but they kept the American public well fed and happy and made us all whores to them.

 

[Ellen Brown]

I've just noticed that bit. I too like the old-style typography, with a thin space before : ; ! ? Of course printers put them in by hand, as French compositors did with « » The answer in a wordprocessor is probably the auto-replacement function, although I just do it by hand.

As do I. A man sent me a link on this thread to Fonts but I do not know which one does as I wish, and if they carry Malware?

 

[ecco]

Luckily for me, I deal with planets as an astrologer, ... Thanks to Pluto, astrologers predicted the collapse of the USSR a decade before it happened

You, of course, have evidence of this.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I deal with planets as an astrologer, not an astronomer.

They had to make astronomy because astrology is so full of crap. And when you think about it, the practice is horribly outdated, neglects to include one of the zodiac signs, and how can such a thing apply to everyone who was born a Libra (my brother and I are both Libras and are basically polar opposites of each other) or Cancer or Ophiuchus, and how can it make predictions when the planets and stars are all drifting about in their own directions throughout the universe? And what happens to the field when these planets and stars die?

Thanks to Pluto, astrologers predicted the collapse of the USSR a decade before it happened,

Evidence?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

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.

Fair question, though. The definition of "planet" that they're using is a bit wonky: what does it really mean to say that a planet has "cleared its orbit?"

If you're going to say that Pluto hasn't "cleared its orbit" because its orbit intersects with Neptune's, then shouldn't we also be demoting Neptune?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Luckily for me, I deal with planets as an astrologer, not an astronomer. If you need it in a chart for accurate results, it's a planet. Thanks to Pluto, astrologers predicted the collapse of the USSR a decade before it happened, which no-one else managed. On that basis, Pluto is in; Ceres, Chiron, and the like are out.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Fair question, though. The definition of "planet" that they're using is a bit wonky: what does it really mean to say that a planet has "cleared its orbit?"

If you're going to say that Pluto hasn't "cleared its orbit" because its orbit intersects with Neptune's, then shouldn't we also be demoting Neptune?

Perhaps the more important issue is placing weed in Coca Cola, or not?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Perhaps the more important issue is placing weed in Coca Cola, or not?

I somehow doubt that the decision-makers for the two questions are the same people.

 

[Milton Platt]

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 !!!

I also do not care if Pluto is a planet, or a proto-planet, or an asteroid, or whatever. Scientists are just trying to come to an agreement on the definition of what the word planet means, not that Pluto exists.

Why does the exclamation point and the question mark have to be one space out and not the period, the comma, colon, the semicolon, and all the rest? what makes them special?

 

[Ellen Brown]

I also do not care if Pluto is a planet, or a proto-planet, or an asteroid, or whatever. Scientists are just trying to come to an agreement on the definition of what the word planet means, not that Pluto exists.

Why does the exclamation point and the question mark have to be one space out and not the period, the comma, colon, the semicolon, and all the rest? what makes them special?

It is visually more pleasing, and it gives the reader some clue about the sentence before it is read, owing to the fact that it is easier to see with peripheral vision. In Spanish, wherever a ? Is used at the end of the sentence, and upside down ? is at the beginning for that reason.

 

[Revoltingest]

They had to make astronomy because astrology is so full of crap. And when you think about it, the practice is horribly outdated, neglects to include one of the zodiac signs, and how can such a thing apply to everyone who was born a Libra (my brother and I are both Libras and are basically polar opposites of each other) or Cancer or Ophiuchus, and how can it make predictions when the planets and stars are all drifting about in their own directions throughout the universe? And what happens to the field when these planets and stars die?

Evidence?

A problem with many astrology practitioners is that they don't confirm
their work using other scientific methods. Before proffering a prognostication
of any import, it should first be confirmed using phrenological analysis,
ballistic osteo-divination, camellia sinensis readings, etc.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

A problem with many astrology practitioners is that they don't confirm
their work using other scientific methods. Before proffering a prognostication
of any import, it should first be confirmed using phrenological analysis,
ballistic osteo-divination, camellia sinensis readings, etc.

Makes me wonder how astrologers would do if it was discovered half the Capricorn stars died a few billion years ago? Does the residual time traveling light still mean anything in spite of the fact the star from whence it came no longer exists? Does being able to see a dead star as still living effect anything? Would the newspaper read "horoscope pending replacement constellation?" Or would Ophiucus be inserted to fill that gap? (could that be reason astrology acknowledges 12 zodiacs rather than 13?)

 

[Terese]

You may find this explains all
Why is Pluto no longer a planet?

Thank you, but i was aware of that. I'm one of the people that don't really think Pluto is a planet but a dwarf planet. Nonetheless, it is fascinating that there is still debate on this

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Thank you, but i was aware of that. I'm one of the people that don't really think Pluto is a planet but a dwarf planet. Nonetheless, it is fascinating that there is still debate on this

I like that there is debate because it affirms scientific discourse is alive and thriving. If Creationists want a scientific controversy, the classification of Pluto is where it is found.