POZ Community Forums

Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: jkinatl2 on August 14, 2006, 08:26:35 pm

Title: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: jkinatl2 on August 14, 2006, 08:26:35 pm
I know, I am a total geek. But I have been following the conference in Prague, and scientists seem pretty well split down the middle.

When it was discovered in 1930, it was thought that Pluto was the size of Earth. Even with it's elongated and wobbly orbit around the sun (far more indicative of object in the Kuiper Belt) it's still been a seemingly stable force in the solar system. Plus, three generations of styrofoam balls creates a certain sentiment.

But turns out, it's NOT the size of earth. As a matter of fact, it's way smaller than Earth's moon. We don't have the capacity to determine whether or not it has a core like Earth, or any signs of stabilizing it's orbit and/or accumulating mass.

I'm thinking, not a planet. Planetoid maybe. Decent sized asteroid, perhaps. Escaped moon from Neptune or even a throwoff from Jupiter, maybe. But not a planet. Plus the fact that if we keep Pluto's classification as a planet, we HAVE to count 2003 UB313, otherewise known as Xena, discovered in 2005 a little further out than Pluto. It's still in an orbit around the sun, and is roughly 70 miles in diameter bigger than Pluto.

So no matter what, it looks as though science projects in middle schools around the globe will change. Question is, will they change to ten styrofoam balls? Or eight? My vote goes to eight.

Thoughts? Or do I watch too much ST:TNG?

Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: whizzer on August 14, 2006, 08:39:22 pm
No, Pluto is a brown floppy-eared dog in the Disney cartoons.

.......and THAT'S why I think it should remain classified as a planet.  C'mon, of all the planets, Earth, Saturn (cuz of the rings) and Pluto were always favorites growing up.  Pluto creates a warm, fuzzy nostalgic feeling of childhood.

Back when times were good.

Before I discovered Uranus.  Oops, but that's another story.

-Whiz
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: JeffInNYC on August 14, 2006, 08:59:01 pm
Quote from: jkinatl2 on August 14, 2006, 08:26:35 pm

When it was discovered in 1930, it was thought that Pluto was the size of Earth. Even with it's elongated and wobbly orbit around the sun (far more indicative of object in the Kuiper Belt) it's still been a seemingly stable force in the solar system. Plus, three generations of styrofoam balls creates a certain sentiment.

But turns out, it's NOT the size of earth. As a matter of fact, it's way smaller than Earth's moon.

Jonathan are you trying to say that "size matters"?  Never figured you to be a size queen.   ;D
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Cliff on August 14, 2006, 09:50:33 pm
Drop Pluto.  And while they are at it, figure out exactly how many continents we have.  Should Asia really be a separate continent from Europe?  And if so, doesn't that mean that India is also a separate continent?  They should also look into the number of oceans.  Do we really need a Southern Ocean?

On second thought, keep Pluto a planet.  It just makes life easier.
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: AlanBama on August 14, 2006, 09:52:07 pm
In 5th grade, the science teacher had one of those plastic 'solar system' models that had all the planets on wires that revolved around the sun.....I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

I agree, Pluto is a DOG (but if he is, what does that make Goofy?)
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: allopathicholistic on August 14, 2006, 10:26:37 pm
Quote from: AlanBama on August 14, 2006, 09:52:07 pm
I agree, Pluto is a DOG (but if he is, what does that make Goofy?)

(http://www.preisvergleich.org/pimages/DisneyGoofy_112__3175_20.jpg) good question Alan ... i think Goofy is a mutant wolf
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Jody on August 14, 2006, 10:33:57 pm
Poor Pluto, this cold, lonely little planet sitting all the way out there at the end of the solar system, all by its lonesome, not a hell of a lot to do and now she is being stripped of its planetary status.

Jody  :-[
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: HIVworker on August 14, 2006, 10:48:08 pm
Ahhhh. Jonathan. That cup of coffee and a chat we will one day have will extend well beyond HIV. Astronomy is another interest of mine.

Just to be argumentative I will say it should be a planet...and Xena too.

Looking forward to that coffee one day...

R
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: fearless on August 14, 2006, 11:54:53 pm
Forget Xena for a minute, what about Pluto's mate Charon? Is it simply a satellite (moon) of Pluto or is their relationship more equal and therefore are they double planets?

Cliff, there are many different ideas as to what constitutes a continent and how many of them we have - is Australia an Island or a Continent, should Europe and Asia be separate Continents, should north and south America be separate Continents, is India/Pakistan a continent in its own right/a sub-continent/or a part of Asia?

PS. The Southern Ocean was only officially approved/recognised in 2000

Steve
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Lwood on August 15, 2006, 07:43:18 am
Saturn = a car with plastic body panels
Mars = A candy bar with almonds
Mercury = the Lead singer of Queen
Neptune = some Greek daddy with a pitchfolk
Venus = a tennis player built like a Football player
Jupiter = the Israeli Planet
Uranus =  too easy, but its safe to ASSume that Man has visited it
Pluto = Mickeys dog
Xena = Warrior princess and Lesbian icon
     

Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Cliff on August 15, 2006, 01:21:34 pm
I'm not sure I get the Jupiter one.
In other news....it appears that Disney is also looking to demote Pluto.

Senior sources inside Disney have told this web site that the company is to consider demoting Pluto to Junior Sidekick status.

For the last fifty years the cartoon dog has officially been a Senior Sidekick Class 1.  A spokesman for the company told our reporter: "The review of Pluto's position in the cartoon firmament is part of a regular reappraisal of the company's assets."

A spokesman for the extremist anti-Pluto pressure group Pluto Must Die, emailed us to say: "Getting stuck in a picnic basket is really the height of Pluto's abilities as far as we are concerned."   "It's time to dump the mutt, downgrading him is just too little too late." "We are calling for the dog to be put down."

To cartoon outsiders this may seem harsh, however in a recent internet survey of people with little to do in their lives, even the dog in The Simpsons ranked higher than Pluto, even though nobody surveyed could actually recall the name of the dog on The Simpsons.

Pluto's demotion, were it to be approved, means that animators specializing in the cartoon dog will have to get their own coffee, clean their own on-set trailer and stand up when Mickey Mouse animators enter the room.

In other news, Pluto the planet could be demoted to rubble, more to follow.
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Lwood on August 15, 2006, 01:53:32 pm
OK so the Jupiter joke was a stretch, there's just not anything named after Jupiter other than some Trailer park in Florida and a Psychotic killer in the Hills Have Eyes ( the original not that crappy remake ) 
The simpsons dog is Santa's Little Helper, I loved the episode where Homer fed him all of the Bacon leftover from his grease selling scheme, "Time for a Squeezin'.." almost as good as the episode where they think Bart is Gay,and the Same Sex Mariage. Theres a picture of me at Disney( yes Gay Days)  wearing a Goofy hat with floppy ears and buck teeth. It looked cute on  kids, just pathetic on a grownup.
The current most popular cartoon dog has to be Brian, from Family Guy.
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Cliff on August 15, 2006, 02:37:22 pm
I am still no closer to understanding the Jupiter joke, the walk down Adult cartoon memory lane not withstanding.   ;D
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Life on August 15, 2006, 02:59:03 pm
I know Pluto is GAY and likes Mice specifically lured in  by a Hot Ginger Bread Men delivered by the Muffin Man...  That's my knowledge base..  Does this help?

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: angels4kelly on August 15, 2006, 03:20:35 pm



                                         (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/angels4kelly/thholdit.gif)

                                          (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/angels4kelly/thGOOFY11.jpg)


Peace
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Lwood on August 15, 2006, 05:14:45 pm
Jupiter  JEWpiter, the Israeli planet,  its a lame joke but like I said there just isn't much to work with there, and nothing rhymes with it, so there  we are,   theres just not alot of humor in astronomy which is probablly why Observatories never have Open Mic night.   I wonder if they use Astroglide to get through those long starry nights ??
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: jkinatl2 on August 16, 2006, 10:16:32 am
12 planets, apparently. I forgot to factor in the "round" criteria in the planetary equation.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2006/08/16/nine_no_longer_panel_declares_12_planets/ (http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2006/08/16/nine_no_longer_panel_declares_12_planets/)

Quote
That is the conclusion, to be announced today, of an international panel formed to devise a scientific definition of a planet and settle an increasingly intense dispute over whether Pluto qualifies. The panel suggests retaining Pluto and immediately adding three new planets to the nine that are familiar to any schoolchild: Ceres, currently considered a large asteroid; Charon, now considered a moon of Pluto; and Xena, a recently discovered object that is larger than Pluto.
But the group's proposal also makes clear that many more objects in the solar system -- perhaps dozens of them -- could qualify as planets after further study.

Did not see THAT coming.

Snakes on a plane.

Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: Lwood on August 16, 2006, 10:25:20 am
OK , Jupiter = The Planet that Supersized it !

Lets just hope that they dont discover a 13th planet, that would give rise to all sorts of interplanetary conspiracy theories and generally be considered the source of all Evil in the Solar System, like Ming's planet in Buck Rogers...
Title: Re: Is Pluto a Planet?
Post by: fearless on August 17, 2006, 07:28:14 pm
hey Jonathon,

I heard last night that if they decide against 12 planets, then the likely outcome is Pluto is ditched and we are back to 8 planets. Pluto, and Pluto like objects, are likely to be called Plutons. I kinda like that name.

Steve