12 replies on “Pluto now a “Dwarf Planet””

    • At least they didn’t call it a "mickey mouse" planet

      On another note, do dwarf planets face the same restrictions on naming that the larger planets do? And if not, does that mean that 2003 UB 313 can keep the name, "Xena"?

      And if they officially name it (as has been proposed) "Persephone," will fans of Firefly rejoice?

      • Mnemonics

        And while some traditionalists bemoan the loss of mnemonic devices such as "My Very Energetic Monkey Just Sat Upon Nine Pies," what would they do if we had to include every dwarf planet, especially with many likely to be discovered in the Kuiper Belt.

        My Very Energetic Monkey Carl Just Sat Upon Nine Pies Covering….

  1. Interesting…. but
    Rather unimportant.
    According to the scale comparison’s I’ve seen, Pluto’s scale in relation to Earth is smaller than Earth’s scale in relation to Jupiter. However. We are the intelli-beans in this speck of galaxy and we have to have some standards. The fact that the standards changed means we’re learning and adapting. I’m sure in 100 years we’ll learn something new and earth will become a dwarf planet, or an asteroid, or a banana.

    This stuff is all based on human thought, which assigns labels based on "whatever" we deem important about the object in question. It makes sense to me to do this, but I don’t care either way.

    Only way this could effect me is if the MWMC (Milky Way Mining Commission) starts saying I can’t run my miner out there and rip dollartainium from Pluto because now it’s a "dwarf" and has protected status.

    • Re: Interesting…. but

      Rather unimportant.
      According to the scale comparison’s I’ve seen, Pluto’s scale in relation to Earth is smaller than Earth’s scale in relation to Jupiter. However. We are the intelli-beans in this speck of galaxy and we have to have some standards. The fact that the standards changed means we’re learning and adapting. I’m sure in 100 years we’ll learn something new and earth will become a dwarf planet, or an asteroid, or a banana.

      This stuff is all based on human thought, which assigns labels based on "whatever" we deem important about the object in question. It makes sense to me to do this, but I don’t care either way.

      Only way this could effect me is if the MWMC (Milky Way Mining Commission) starts saying I can’t run my miner out there and rip dollartainium from Pluto because now it’s a "dwarf" and has protected status.

      So 100 years from now the future version of Mae West will say:

      "Is that a planet in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

      Sounds very Futurama to me. :)

      • Re: Interesting…. but

        Rather unimportant.
        According to the scale comparison’s I’ve seen, Pluto’s scale in relation to Earth is smaller than Earth’s scale in relation to Jupiter. However. We are the intelli-beans in this speck of galaxy and we have to have some standards. The fact that the standards changed means we’re learning and adapting. I’m sure in 100 years we’ll learn something new and earth will become a dwarf planet, or an asteroid, or a banana.

        This stuff is all based on human thought, which assigns labels based on "whatever" we deem important about the object in question. It makes sense to me to do this, but I don’t care either way.

        Only way this could effect me is if the MWMC (Milky Way Mining Commission) starts saying I can’t run my miner out there and rip dollartainium from Pluto because now it’s a "dwarf" and has protected status.

        So 100 years from now the future version of Mae West will say:

        "Is that a planet in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

        Sounds very Futurama to me. :)

        HA!… that is very Futurama like… which makes me wonder, when are we gonna see the new Futurama stuff? I’m anxious for more!

  2. Star Trek reference book
    Yes, of course everything is star trek related :P

    I remember in my ol’ High School days having a Star Trek Reference book (Worlds of the federation maybe?) That listed the Sol system with more than 9 planets, with something further out than pluto, or some such. I was thinking that was silly of them at the time, but I had begun to think that they where a little prescient when I started to hear the more solar system objects maybe upgraded to planets stories of late.

    Now it appears that went the wrong way. For now!

    • Re: Star Trek reference book

      Yes, of course everything is star trek related :P

      I remember in my ol’ High School days having a Star Trek Reference book (Worlds of the federation maybe?) That listed the Sol system with more than 9 planets, with something further out than pluto, or some such. I was thinking that was silly of them at the time, but I had begun to think that they where a little prescient when I started to hear the more solar system objects maybe upgraded to planets stories of late.

      Now it appears that went the wrong way. For now!

      Yeah, that one went though my head too. I’ve still got that book around somewhere. Either this proves: Star Trek is an alternate universe or timeline (only thing possible anyways – see Khan), or they will change their minds again after the general public cries foul.

      Not but a few days ago did I watch a ‘Little Einsteins’ kids show with my almost 3 year old daughter that a nice little ditty to remember the planets, which included Pluto. The moms in this world aren’t too happy about this.

      • Re: Star Trek reference book

        Not but a few days ago did I watch a ‘Little Einsteins’ kids show with my almost 3 year old daughter that a nice little ditty to remember the planets, which included Pluto. The moms in this world aren’t too happy about this.

        As I noted earlier, the ditties and mnemonics would be compromised even further if the IAU had gone the other way, and included Pluto. And Ceres, Sedna, UB 313…….

    • Re: Star Trek reference book

      Yes, of course everything is star trek related :P

      Well, my first thought were of the RPG "Mage: The Ascention" in which a group of Technocrats obsessed with the number 8 would be the kind to use consensus to have the planet count dropped to a number more to their liking.

      : )

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