| |
 |
|
|
Science Forum Index » Astro - Amateur Forum » Discounting Pluto?...
Page 1 of 1
|
| Author |
Message |
| W. eWatson... |
 Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:38 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
I see the latest copy of S&T is offering 15% off one of its Clyde Tombaugh
books. Coincidence? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| oriel36... |
| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:21 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On Aug 3, 6:33 pm, Greg Crinklaw <theskyhoundyour... at (no spam) yahoo.com> wrote:
Quote: Peter Webb wrote:
Now, for the first time, we are starting to "see" planets around other
suns, which already look completely different to those in our solar
system. Why not wait another 20 years, when we may be able to form a
definition of "planet" that works outside our system as well ?
Because the nomenclature problem is here and now in our own solar
system. In the coming years it is very likely that we will have dozens
of Pluto-like objects discovered in our solar system. A new dwarf
planet was just recently added last month. Given this reality we have
three basic choices: end up with possibly hundreds of planets, keep
Pluto as a planet completely arbitrarily and call all the other objects
akin to it something else, or reclassify Pluto to become part of a new
classification. The last options seems the most reasonable and it's the
one that has been chosen.
Greg
--
Greg Crinklaw
Astronomical Software Developer
Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA (33N, 106W, 2700m)
SkyTools: http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html
Observing:http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html
Comets: http://comets.skyhound.com
To reply take out your eye
You have changed your tune and where you made some good points back
then,all you now show is a hideous subservience which has followed
this incident.-
http://groups.google.ie/group/sci.astro/msg/e4cf94cc471419af?hl=en
Most people are dismayed that a central authority took bad decisions
by rushing through an ill-considered view of planets and tried to
demote Pluto with no regard for astronomical authorities which stretch
back to antiquity.Maybe you do not know it,but it leaves a bad taste
in people's mouths to see observational astronomers brought down to
heel by dynamicists who have no appreciation for where the notion of
the planets came from and how it is based on their motion with respect
to the background stars.
Regardless of what reasoning you follow ,this is one issue where
amateur observers refused to follow an unreasonable dictate and still
consider the existence of 9 planets. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Greg Crinklaw... |
| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 11:33 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
Peter Webb wrote:
Quote: Now, for the first time, we are starting to "see" planets around other
suns, which already look completely different to those in our solar
system. Why not wait another 20 years, when we may be able to form a
definition of "planet" that works outside our system as well ?
Because the nomenclature problem is here and now in our own solar
system. In the coming years it is very likely that we will have dozens
of Pluto-like objects discovered in our solar system. A new dwarf
planet was just recently added last month. Given this reality we have
three basic choices: end up with possibly hundreds of planets, keep
Pluto as a planet completely arbitrarily and call all the other objects
akin to it something else, or reclassify Pluto to become part of a new
classification. The last options seems the most reasonable and it's the
one that has been chosen.
Greg
--
Greg Crinklaw
Astronomical Software Developer
Cloudcroft, New Mexico, USA (33N, 106W, 2700m)
SkyTools: http://www.skyhound.com/cs.html
Observing: http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html
Comets: http://comets.skyhound.com
To reply take out your eye |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| |
|
Page 1 of 1
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
The time now is Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 am
|
|