2,500 Astronomers gather to define what, exactly, is a planet

[thewayne]

The problem is (a) that Pluto's status whether or not it's a planet has been argued since it was discovered 75 years ago, and now some fool has to re-open the whole can of worms with renewed vigor by discovering a "planet" bigger than Pluto but much further out in our solar system in the Kuiper Belt.

Right now, there have been three planets discovered beyond Pluto: Sedna, Quahuar(?), and this Kuiper object, Xena. No word yet on Hercules.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/space/0,71589-0.html

Comments

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Well, according to some people, Earth has two moons (http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=578). It's a little disappointing to find out that it's expected to sling out of its current orbit within the next ten thousand years. Oh, well, here's a page with simulators of the orbits (http://www.burtleburtle.net/bob/physics/cruithne.html), for fun.

Other plutonian objects

[tomegatheron.livejournal.com]

They suspect that there might be dozens of pluto sized objects in the kuiper belt. The meeting in prague proposed that Plutos moon Charon was one of them as well. They also considered reclassifying Ceres as a Minor planet.