Pluto: Planet or Not?

[Mike the Progressive]

Just though it would be worth mentioning, I'm not saying that Pluto IS a planet, but people are acting like the declassification of Pluto was some unanimous decision that every Scientist agrees with and that only brainless idiots are against. When in reality it was a very unpopular decision that is still hotly debated by astronomers.

Exactly, which is why we should hold a world referendum to decide its fate and put the Russians in charge of keeping it honest. Sure, it will cost billions to do, but damn it, we gots to know..is it a planet or is it not?

[Oaledonia]

No, it's not

[Immoren]

If Pluto is planet then Eris should also be.

[Degenerate Heart of HetRio]

Ancient Alien. *nod*

[Greater-London]

I think were long overdue a universally agreed definition of what a planet is. Once we have that then we can know whether Pluto is a planet or not.

Through a Google search I found that somethings a planet if it fits the following criteria

1. is in orbit around the Sun,
2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape)
3. "cleared the neighborhood" around its orb

I think if you have a combination of those 3 but not all then you have a Dwarf Planet. Which I think Pluto is.

[Aflehnit]

Yes.

[Destrovia]

LEAVE PLUTO ALONE!

[Degenerate Heart of HetRio]

LEAVE PLUTO ALONE!

I thought of uploading one day in YouTube a "LEAVE CHRIS CROCKER ALONE!" video.

[Destrovia]

LEAVE PLUTO ALONE!

I thought of uploading one day in YouTube a "LEAVE CHRIS CROCKER ALONE!" video.

Consider yourself hired.

[Basking Turtles]

I think were long overdue a universally agreed definition of what a planet is. Once we have that then we can know whether Pluto is a planet or not.

Through a Google search I found that somethings a planet if it fits the following criteria

1. is in orbit around the Sun,
2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape)
3. "cleared the neighborhood" around its orb

I think if you have a combination of those 3 but not all then you have a Dwarf Planet. Which I think Pluto is.

That is correct. This definition was adopted in 2006, and it was actually the first time an official definition of the term "planet" was introduced. Long overdue indeed.

edit: to be precise, you are a dwarf planet if you satisfy 1 and 2 but not 3. If you only satisfy criterion 1, you are an asteroid.

[Dragomere]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

[Cyprevus]

Yes I think Pluto is a planet because it has all the characteristics of a planet. 1.orbit a star. 2. Has a huge mass. 3. Round object.

[Greed and Death]

It's not a debate when one side is objectively right. Pluto is not a planet.

Not how this works in democracy.
Pluto is still a planet, global warming is fake, and the sun revolves around the earth.

Why because Americans elected their government to decide these facts.

[AiliailiA]

Welcome to the newest debate topic on NS, the SPACE DEBATE.

(Image)

This is part one of the series, on Pluto

The question is: Is Pluto a planet, or just a iceball of the Kuiper Belt?

Well, for me, Pluto is a planet despite it's orbit and distance from the sun. I say this because it gets closer to the sun than Neptune at times. I feel like any object in space that is not a moon, space probe, or asteroid that gets closer to the sun than Neptune, it is a planet.

So, Planet? Not? Please state why with your answer. And stay tuned for next episode, on the Kuiper Belt!!!

There is a the possibility of another planet in extreme orbit. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014 ... 2012-vp113

Thank you. That Will be Part 3.

Why not just post in the Astronomy thread, where the "is Pluto a planet" thing has been brought up half a dozen times?

The most recent posts there are about 2012 VP113.

I think there's just not enough informed interest among posters to make a "series" of "space debates" anything but annoying.

[Basking Turtles]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

Actually it doesn't. By "clearing the neighbourhood" we mean that the object is unmistakably the dominant gravitational object, meaning that it has shaped the orbits of everything in its vicinity, either by accretion, "satellitification", or through orbital resonance.

Yes I think Pluto is a planet because it has all the characteristics of a planet. 1.orbit a star. 2. Has a huge mass. 3. Round object.

That's your definition, not that of the IAU. By the way, 3 follows from 2, no need to mention them separately.

[Indian Empire]

I'm only posting them once a month.

[Cyprevus]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

Actually it doesn't. By "clearing the neighbourhood" we mean that the object is unmistakably the dominant gravitational object, meaning that it has shaped the orbits of everything in its vicinity, either by accretion, "satellitification", or through orbital resonance.

Yes I think Pluto is a planet because it has all the characteristics of a planet. 1.orbit a star. 2. Has a huge mass. 3. Round object.

That's your definition, not that of the IAU. By the way, 3 follows from 2, no need to mention them separately.

Well instead of it moons it have cleared the neighbourghhood

[Dragomere]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

Actually it doesn't. By "clearing the neighbourhood" we mean that the object is unmistakably the dominant gravitational object, meaning that it has shaped the orbits of everything in its vicinity, either by accretion, "satellitification", or through orbital resonance.

Yes I think Pluto is a planet because it has all the characteristics of a planet. 1.orbit a star. 2. Has a huge mass. 3. Round object.

That's your definition, not that of the IAU. By the way, 3 follows from 2, no need to mention them separately.

Actually, there are comets, meteors, and other such objects that have intersecting paths with Earth's orbit.

[Dazchan]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

Really? Earth doesn't orbit a star, isn't massive enough to be nearly round and hasn't cleared its orbit of significant objects?

[Basking Turtles]

Actually it doesn't. By "clearing the neighbourhood" we mean that the object is unmistakably the dominant gravitational object, meaning that it has shaped the orbits of everything in its vicinity, either by accretion, "satellitification", or through orbital resonance.


That's your definition, not that of the IAU. By the way, 3 follows from 2, no need to mention them separately.

Actually, there are comets, meteors, and other such objects that have intersecting paths with Earth's orbit.

Comets (and associated objects such as meteors) are on highly eccentric, almost parabolic or even hyperbolic trajectories. They may intersect Earth's orbit once in a blue moon, but they don't "share" the orbit in any meaningful way.


edit: Apparently there's a whole wiki article about clearing the neighbourhood. It's interesting. Check the table of (dwarf) planets: see the gap between planets and dwarfs? That's significant enough to justify a distinction, if you ask me.

[Dragomere]

Pluto is a planet. If you go by the definition that declassified Pluto, it also declassifies Earth.

Really? Earth doesn't orbit a star, isn't massive enough to be nearly round and hasn't cleared its orbit of significant objects?

Actually, the official definition accepted by astronomists that Earth and Pluto fail is worded "cleared its path of orbital debris" (Source), not "cleared its orbit of significant objects".

Since the definition requires the path to be free of orbital debris, that includes that no meteors or comets may cross its path either.

[Icarianna]

After much study of the question, I think Pluto should be reinstated. I agree with the 12-planet model that was proposed as an alternative to demoting Pluto in 2006 when astronomers voted on this issue.

http://www.plutoisaplanet.com

[Dragomere]

Actually, there are comets, meteors, and other such objects that have intersecting paths with Earth's orbit.

Comets (and associated objects such as meteors) are on highly eccentric, almost parabolic or even hyperbolic trajectories. They may intersect Earth's orbit once in a blue moon, but they don't "share" the orbit in any meaningful way.


edit: Apparently there's a whole wiki article about clearing the neighbourhood. It's interesting. Check the table of (dwarf) planets: see the gap between planets and dwarfs? That's significant enough to justify a distinction, if you ask me.

Quoted from your sourced article "A large body which meets the other criteria for a planet but has not cleared its neighbourhood is classified as a dwarf planet. This includes Pluto"

[-Palaven-]

Welcome to the newest debate topic on NS, the SPACE DEBATE.

(Image)

This is part one of the series, on Pluto

The question is: Is Pluto a planet, or just a iceball of the Kuiper Belt?

Well, for me, Pluto is a planet despite it's orbit and distance from the sun. I say this because it gets closer to the sun than Neptune at times. I feel like any object in space that is not a moon, space probe, or asteroid that gets closer to the sun than Neptune, it is a planet.

So, Planet? Not? Please state why with your answer. And stay tuned for next episode, on the Kuiper Belt!!!

You evidently do not know what the definition of a planet is.

Pluto is not a planet. It is a dwarf planet.

I wouldn't even call it that, just a Moon...nothing impressive to me.

[Basking Turtles]

Quoted from your sourced article "A large body which meets the other criteria for a planet but has not cleared its neighbourhood is classified as a dwarf planet. This includes Pluto"

Yeah, exactly: Pluto is not a planet but a dwarf planet. What's your point?