Comments on: The Quick 10: Pluto, We Never Knew Ye

By: Laurel Kornfeld

Laurel Kornfeld — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:51:00 +0000

Please do not blindly accept the controversial demotion of Pluto, which was done by only four percent of the IAU, most of whom are not planetary scientists, and was opposed in a formal petition of hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto.

By: Laurel Kornfeld

Laurel Kornfeld — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:27:00 +0000

“We” did not dump Pluto. Four percent of the IAU, most of whom are not planetary scientists, in a process that violated their own bylaws, did that. Their decision was immediately opposed by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto.

Don’t mourn–join those of us, scientists and lay people alike, who are fighting the demotion and working to get it overturned in favor of a broader planet definition that includes any non-self-luminous spheroidal body orbiting a star. By that definition, our solar system has 13 planets and counting: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.

By: Laurel Kornfeld

Laurel Kornfeld — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:23:00 +0000

“We” didn’t dump Pluto. Four percent of the IAU, most of whom are not planetary scientists, violated their own bylaws and approved the controversial planet definition that demoted Pluto. Their decision was immediately rejected by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto.

Don’t mourn Pluto–join those of us, scientists and lay people alike, who are fighting the demotion. Google “dwarf planets are planets too” for a site with contact information to email the IAU and ask them to reopen this issue. Join those of us supporting a broader planet definition that includes any non-self-luminous spheroidal body orbiting a star. This debate is far from over! I plan on writing a book on Pluto’s planethood, but it will be a while before it is completed.

By: morris

morris — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:33:00 +0000

This whole Pluto thing saddens me. The public was inspired by the thought of a new plant when Pluto was discovered. Surely more money for research was easier to come by and a new generation of astronomers was created from kids who wanted to grow and study the cosmos too.

By downgrading Pluto they turned people away from science and astronomy. Most of the pubic got the impression that astronomers were a bunch of intellectual elitist. I don’t think that, but I think that they have lost some public support in the name of “preciseness”.

By: Bekah

Bekah — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:20:00 +0000

When I was in elementary school, specifically 5th grade, we split language arts and math/science courses between two teachers. My math and science teacher that year was Clyde Tombaugh’s daughter. I have always loved science, partially because of her. Hooray for the Tombaughs!
ReCaptcha: the void =)

By: Karl

Karl — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:10:00 +0000

I know how you feel mental_floss. I MISS PLUTO!!!!!!! Why not we stage a large protest in front of the IAU demanding Pluto to be reclassified. I also think that the folks at the IAU are ignorant. I mean, they reject every heavenly body that was discovered by an American & they also reject every planet named by a child.

By: Bert

Bert — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Re: number 9 – this could be debatable. Eris (the discovery of which prompted the whole “is Pluto really a planet” debate)and Triton are both larger than Pluto and are hypothesised to have once been KBO’s. Though currently Pluto IS the largest.

By: Tim Parry

Tim Parry — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Clyde Tombaugh is the man! Those who demoted Pluto are mere game show hosts.