Pluto's Demotion

Pichu_XP · 03-24-2007, 03:46 PM

A history lesson (Skip if you wish):
As many of you may already know, Pluto has been striped of its title as a planet and is now a dwarf planet. The controversy concerning whether or not Pluto is deservent of its title as a planet has been around for years. Mainly due to its irregularity (an outer planet composed of dust and ice) and its size (smaller than some moons). Well, after a few years and the discover of other bodies beyond Pluto (one of which bigger than Pluto), the IAU decided to place some requirements as to what an object must be in order to be classified as a planet. They are as follows:

Quote:

1. The object must be in orbit around the Sun.
2. The object must be massive enough to be a sphere by its own gravitational force. More specifically, its own gravity should pull it into a shape of hydrostatic equilibrium.
3. It must have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

Pluto, failing the third requirement (it crosses through another planets orbit), lost its former title as a planet.

Personally I find that the IAU's standards are stupid. Plain stupid. The third one anyways.
The third one says that the object's orbit must not cross any other objects' orbits. That's just silly. Seeing as Earth itself, crosses into the orbit of several thousand objects close to its size. Does that make our planet a dwarf one as well?
In fact, Mars' and Jupiter's orbits crosses others' as well. Why aren't they demoted.
All in all, if the IAU decides to demote a planet, they should at least have a good reason to.

That's my opinion on Pluto's demotion. How about sharing your view on this?

cC@Zz · 03-24-2007, 03:49 PM

I do agree that the 3rd rule is stupid. Personally I think they should have kept Pluto classified as a planet.

**itmorr** · 03-24-2007, 03:51 PM

I think Pluto shouldn't have been demoted from being a planet.

Pichu_XP · 03-24-2007, 04:10 PM

I think I should add a poll.

EDIT: Should've made one while I still had the chance.

jchinzilla · 03-24-2007, 04:28 PM

in the wise words of the 2 Skinnee J's, PLUTO IS A PLANET!

Afrobean · 03-25-2007, 08:07 AM

I never considered Pluto a true planet. The only reason you guys do is because that's what people always told you. It's entirely not like any planet. If I had classified it, I would have called it a planetoid.

In the end, people complaining about the change in title are just being whiny bitches because they think that since it was called a planet before, it should always be called a planet. Honestly, I don't see why it took them so long for the scientific community to get their collective thumbs out of their collective asses and get this changed.

Ruu · 03-25-2007, 08:53 AM

Calling Pluto a planet, would basically mean the hundreds of moons in our Solar system would be considered planets. With the exception of a few.

סּ_סּ · 03-25-2007, 09:00 AM

the only reason why people want it to be a planet again is because it was taught to us at schools and everything. It's not exactly awkward or anything to remember being the last planet and all.

cC@Zz · 03-25-2007, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruu

Calling Pluto a planet, would basically mean the hundreds of moons in our Solar system would be considered planets. With the exception of a few.

Well call them planets then. I moons should be considered planets as well. I consider any massive object with its own gravitational force a planet.

RandomPscho · 03-25-2007, 10:40 AM

Quote:

I consider any massive object with its own gravitational force a planet.

Everything exerts a gravitational force. Massive is an opinion. With that logic I can consider an ant to be a planet... It is bigger than atoms so I'll consider it massive, and it has a gravitation force.

cC@Zz · 03-25-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandomPscho

Everything exerts a gravitational force. Massive is an opinion. With that logic I can consider an ant to be a planet... It is bigger than atoms so I'll consider it massive, and it has a gravitation force.

Alright I should been more specific. Like objects in space that orbit around the sun. Like something that meets the first two qualifications in the first post of the thread.

Afrobean · 03-25-2007, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cC@Zz

Alright I should been more specific. Like objects in space that orbit around the sun. Like something that meets the first two qualifications in the first post of the thread.

Let's take a look at Earth's moon. Would you call that a planet?

Sure, the Moon's orbit around the Sun is staggered thanks to its simultaneous orbit around the Earth, but take a look at Charon. They say that Charon and Pluto could easily be considered a binary system BECAUSE THEIR CENTER POINT OF ORBIT IS NOT WITHIN EITHER BODY. Basically, they're moons of each other in a way. Pluto just got the title of planet because it's a bit bigger.

OnlyTheClouds · 03-25-2007, 10:56 AM

Which moons don't, so if they decided Pluto was a planet still, it wouldn't matter about the moons because they don't orbit the Sun. Maybe there were more specifications as to why Pluto wasn't a planet after all. Are you sure that those 3 are the only rules the IAU went by? Post a link to your source, please.

cC@Zz · 03-25-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrobean

Let's take a look at Earth's moon. Would you call that a planet?

Sure, the Moon's orbit around the Sun is staggered thanks to its simultaneous orbit around the Earth, but take a look at Charon. They say that Charon and Pluto could easily be considered a binary system BECAUSE THEIR CENTER POINT OF ORBIT IS NOT WITHIN EITHER BODY. Basically, they're moons of each other in a way. Pluto just got the title of planet because it's a bit bigger.

Well knowing all that I guess I wouldn't consider the moon a planet.

Afrobean · 03-25-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cC@Zz

Well knowing all that I guess I wouldn't consider the moon a planet.

I didn't know that before today, but I still never considered it a true planet.

Learn to think for yourself and don't just accept what your teacher has to say about what is or is not a planet. Pluto is unlike the nearby planets and is ****ing way too small.

super kid · 03-25-2007, 12:59 PM

Pluto is a dwarf planet.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14489259/

Raziel_Darkeden · 03-25-2007, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by סּ_סּ

the only reason why people want it to be a planet again is because it was taught to us at schools and everything. It's not exactly awkward or anything to remember being the last planet and all.

Funny thing is, I took a test right after Pluto was declared a NOT to be a planet. So when we were supposed to right down all the little details for each planet, i just skipped right over. And, not surprisingly the teacher didn't care.

jnco9909 · 03-25-2007, 04:55 PM

I don't know what to say, but I agree.

jewpinthethird · 03-25-2007, 05:35 PM

When you get a Ph.D in astrophysics, then maybe you'll be allowed to have opinion on the matter.

Quote:

In fact, Mars' and Jupiter's orbits crosses others' as well.

Don't take too much offense to this: but you have no idea what you are talking about. The distance between Mars and Jupiter is roughly 3.7 AU (or 344 million miles, to put that in perspective, the Earth is exactly 1 AU from the Sun), their orbits don't even come close.

Obviously, the anatomy of our Solar System is completely foreign to you. Try taking a course astronomy.

GuidoHunter · 03-25-2007, 05:38 PM

Yeah, the only reason they weren't demoted earlier was because the definition of a planet was never standardized. Now that astronomical technology is growing, we needed to do just that.

Before, Pluto was a planet just because we called it one.

Like Afro said, it was never actually like a planet, so why should it be considered one, now?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

03-24-2007, 03:49 PM	#2
cC@Zz FFR Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 34 Posts: 1,427	Re: Pluto's Demotion I do agree that the 3rd rule is stupid. Personally I think they should have kept Pluto classified as a planet. __________________ There is a 50% chance your pillow will eat you while you are sleeping.

03-24-2007, 04:10 PM	#4
Pichu_XP FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: 2008 Posts: 950	Re: Pluto's Demotion I think I should add a poll. EDIT: Should've made one while I still had the chance. __________________

03-24-2007, 04:28 PM	#5
jchinzilla i like cheese Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 26 Posts: 2,106	Re: Pluto's Demotion in the wise words of the 2 Skinnee J's, PLUTO IS A PLANET! __________________

03-25-2007, 08:07 AM	#6
Afrobean Admiral in the Red Army Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the moon Age: 36 Posts: 13,262	Re: Pluto's Demotion I never considered Pluto a true planet. The only reason you guys do is because that's what people always told you. It's entirely not like any planet. If I had classified it, I would have called it a planetoid. In the end, people complaining about the change in title are just being whiny bitches because they think that since it was called a planet before, it should always be called a planet. Honestly, I don't see why it took them so long for the scientific community to get their collective thumbs out of their collective asses and get this changed. __________________

03-25-2007, 08:53 AM	#7
Ruu FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Age: 32 Posts: 70	Re: Pluto's Demotion Calling Pluto a planet, would basically mean the hundreds of moons in our Solar system would be considered planets. With the exception of a few.

03-25-2007, 09:00 AM	#8
סּ_סּ Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Age: 34 Posts: 225	Re: Pluto's Demotion the only reason why people want it to be a planet again is because it was taught to us at schools and everything. It's not exactly awkward or anything to remember being the last planet and all.

03-25-2007, 10:56 AM	#13
OnlyTheClouds FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ridin 24s with my windows pitch black Posts: 108	Re: Pluto's Demotion Which moons don't, so if they decided Pluto was a planet still, it wouldn't matter about the moons because they don't orbit the Sun. Maybe there were more specifications as to why Pluto wasn't a planet after all. Are you sure that those 3 are the only rules the IAU went by? Post a link to your source, please. __________________

03-25-2007, 04:55 PM	#18
jnco9909 FFR Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PA Age: 30 Posts: 30	Re: Pluto's Demotion I don't know what to say, but I agree.

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