Controversial Proposal Would Boost Solar System's Planet Tally to 12
By polachicago
@polachicago (18716)
United States
January 9, 2007 12:30am CST
In the same week that the planetary community learned a mission to Pluto has been approved, a hot debate has re-ignited over whether the small world deserves planetary status at all.
Many astronomers do agree Pluto should never have been called a planet. It is only 1,430 miles (2,300 kilometers) wide, smaller than Earth's Moon.
"It's something of an embarrassment that we currently have no definition of what a planet is,"
"People like to classify things. We live on a planet; it would be nice to know what that was."
If the size cutoff were accepted, two KBOs -- named Varuna and Quaoar -- would become instant planets.
Should we go back to school and learn about 12 planets in solar system?
2 people like this
6 responses
@vhmehta (621)
• United States
9 Jan 07
Unfortunately Planet is a very liquid term... Pluto was given Planet designation long back and so it was continued.. So far no one has taken time to define what Planet is.... I guess they are busy looking and going to other planets than defining planets!!! The list of Planets was always going to change as new ones are added and old ones may be removed... due to some new findings... Science is always progressing and changing... We have to learn our own way to get upto date knowledge.. Going to school to learn every small achievemnet in Science is not the solution!
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
9 Jan 07
yes, I guess. it is just science dispute over something they are not syre about...
1 person likes this
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
12 Jan 07
12 planets? I thought there are 9 planets, I think I need to go back to relearn the planets because it sounds like I'm behind somehow.
@altair_dip (807)
• India
12 Jan 07
what is required is a detailed defination of what a planet is? only then can we have a proper understanding if Pluto is a planet or not..
@ashwinsinha2003 (156)
• India
14 Jan 07
also try asking on yahoo answers. there iy\t isa 100% pure infos
@adidas7878 (1891)
• United States
22 Mar 07
i still going with the 9 planets that we have, unless they can somehow come up with 3 mores, and i still think pluto is planets i dont care what they say lol, what they going to destory pluto and force it on us that there is only 8 planets now? lol
