Luckily common sense and scientific evidence prevailed today and Pluto has lots its status of planet. Full Article

I'm very happy that the "stupid" new definition of "what is a planet" got rejected in the vote. So let the hunt begin for the new ninth planet

So Pluto is now a dwarf planet, as is Charon? I must admit I was highly tickled by the fact that UB313 is nicknamed "Xena" with the moon (or asteroid?) getting the nickname "Gabrielle".

Fingers crossed they keep the names, nice to see a bit of pop culture getting a mention in real science, rather than the other way round.

I may be a bit biased, what with being a huge Xena fan, lol.

As far as I know the last 2 or 3 'planets' were discovered because scientists discovered that the orbits of the known planets were not quite consistent with a solar system with nothing else in it.

One by one the latter planets were discovered, and when only Pluto was left undiscovered, someone found there was still a gravitational anomaly that suggested the presence of another still to be located planet.

When Pluto was found, based on the maths of where it needed to be to cause the effect that had been measured, it was by default a planet, as it had been classified as one before it had even been discovered!

It was never therefore truly 'mis-identified' as a planet

(Edited by Wobag 24/08/2006 21:46)

I'm glad they made the decision they made about Pluto. Good for them. But after having learned all though school that there are nine planets, it's going to be a bit strange for a while.

YES nuff said

profesor gooner graduate of highbury and emirates stadium univversity and the school of hard knocks