On 8/24/2006 7:33:58 PM, John D. Giorgis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: > --- John Horn wrote: > > What I don't understand is why they couldn't just say > "here are the > > new rules and Pluto gets grandfathered in as an exception..."??? > > I think the question is - why would they want to? > > I think that the term planet is most useful if it clearly defines > some > well-defined set of objects. It seems like the astronomers settled > upon > a definition for a distinct set of objects, and Pluto simply > doesn't fit > that definition. I don't know what useful purpose would be > served by > "grandfathering", other than sentimentality... >
It all seems pretty silly to me. If a body has enough mass to reform itself into (roughly) a sphere then it should be considered a planet. I rather liked the division of major and minor worlds that was being discussed a week or two ago. It seems to me that the idea that 30 is an unwieldy number (just to create an example mind you), and that 8 or 9 is a "teachable" number is hogwash. I could name the planets in order from the sun when I was 4 years old, but I doubt I could find very many people during a typical day (a typical working day for me) who could do so, even though I know we were all taught this at some time or another. (I actually posed this question a few years ago and got zero correct answers) John sees one kind of sentimentality, I see a sentimentality for ones own youthful education in play. Let me make a prediction: (and keep in mind how *I* would prefer to define a planet) At some point in the future a body that is multiples of earth's mass will be discovered that does not orbit any other body (excepting perhaps the galactic center and even then it will not be a regular orbit), it will resemble the terrestrial planets only colder. It will be called a planet. And that will break this new definition. (If one reads the article, and presuming it is accurate, one will understand why it would) xponent Planet Ceres Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
