Astronomers appear torn on what to do with the definition of "planet." The issue is raised by the discovery of a lot of little Pluto-like spheres in orbits past Pluto. It seems they must decide between:
a) all these little Pluto-like things are planets, including Pluto, naturally, but also including Pluto's moon, Charon. The number of planets jumps dramatically from 9 to lots more, with more to be discovered shortly.
b) they aren't exactly planets, they're dwarf planets, or "plutons" or something. The number of true planets drops from 9 to 8.
Either way, expect some major textbook revision!
Where shall they draw the line?
When it comes time to define
And everyone has voted
Will Pluto be demoted?
By the way, depending on how they decide, this guy is going to be either very busy, or very embarassed.
No comments:
Post a Comment