Pluto faces expulsion from planetary league

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:41 AM EDT

Article Source: The Register (UK)

science, space, planets, pluto, prague, iau, xena, praha, xena-the-planet-not-the-warrior-princess

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has gathered in Prague to finally settle a matter of galactic import: whether Pluto is in fact a planet or should be relegated to the second division of Kuiper Belt Objects and similar detritus.
Astonomers have to date failed dismally to agree what exactly constitutes a planet, as demonstrated by last year's Xena controversy which saw stargazers claim they'd discovered the solar system's tenth full-fat planet, while others used the opportunity to call for Pluto and Xena's classification as minor planets.
The matter may soon be settled once and for all, The Detroit Free Press reports, as the IAU is scheduled to "consider a resolution that defines a planet". The committee writing the resolution is maintaining a stony silence as to what it will finally recommend, but whatever it decides will inevitably cause a rumpus in either the pro or con Pluto camps.

Seeder's note - sorry, but there's no "pluto" region. Perhaps that could be added?

Published to:

David Rutt's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: none
Regions: Czech Republic

Public Discussion (1)

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

1.5

{"commentId":249938,"authorDomain":"abenton"}

Andrew Benton

Dang it, but we already have all these textbooks and stuff all printed up...

{"commentId":249938,"threadId":"36810","contentId":"324211","authorDomain":"abenton"}

1 vote

#1 - Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:06 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"36810","isPrivate":false}

Plan Would Add Planets to Solar System	Associated Press	Wed Aug 16	11
What, Exactly, Is a Planet?	Wired News	Tue Aug 15	0
Nine planets become twelve thanks to a controversial new definition.	rtohme	Wed Aug 16	0
Nine Planets Become 12 with Controversial New Definition	Space.com	Wed Aug 16	0

DAVID RUTT

Backyard

Pluto faces expulsion from planetary league

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: