Revised Important Scientific Poll

[BuddyLee]

If it's a moon then that's a big moon.

...and to which planet does moon Pluto belong to?

 

[Toxick]

If it's a moon then that's a big moon.

...and to which planet does moon Pluto belong to?

I think it's smaller than Titan.

And as far as I know, nobody's trying to change the status of Pluto to 'moon', but I know that there's a body of thought which considers Pluto a "Kuiper Belt Object".

 

[jazz lady]

I think it's smaller than Titan.

And as far as I know, nobody's trying to change the status of Pluto to 'moon', but I know that there's a body of thought which considers Pluto a "Kuiper Belt Object".

Very true...

The Kuiper belt is a large, distant belt of icy objects beyond Neptune, including Pluto. For this reason, some astronomers prefer to think of Pluto not as the smallest planet but as the largest asteroid in the Kuiper belt. Many of the comets that visit Earth's vicinity come from the Kuiper belt.

Is it a planet?

There is no firm definition of a planet, but the International Astronomical Union has ruled that Pluto meets the criteria. Generally, Pluto is considered a planet because it orbits the sun and is large enough that its own gravity gives it a circular shape.

Interesting reading on Pluto from National Geographic.


New moons discovered this year:

Rumors of twins have been swirling around a certain heavenly body lately (hint: we're not talking about Angelina Jolie). Now the truth can be revealed.

A Hubble Space Telescope image released yesterday confirms what a fuzzy shot taken last May only hinted at: Two more moons have been found orbiting Pluto, making a total of three.

Pluto Has Two More Moons, Hubble Confirms


And their names?

Stern's team picked the names Nix and Hydra—both figures in Greek mythology—to reflect the underworld theme used in naming objects in the dim reaches of the outer solar system.
...
Nyx is the Greek goddess of darkness and the mother of the underworld ferryman Charon, which is the name of Pluto's largest moon.

Hydra was a nine-headed monster that guarded the underworld. Its nine heads make it a particularly good companion for the ninth planet, Stern says.

Originally, the astronomers proposed "Nyx" as the name for the first moon, but the IAU rejected that spelling because it had already been used to name a small asteroid.

Pluto's New Moons Named Nix, Hydra


Personally, I think it's a planet but one that is very different than the other ones we have in our solar system. It's very fascinating.

 

[hvp05]

Personally, I think it's a planet but one that is very different than the other ones we have in our solar system.

Generally, I don't mind calling it a planet... but there just seems to be something wrong in that label. Everything about Pluto is peculiar: size, orbit, composition (for its location).

There has been speculation that it was a moon - of Neptune, probably - that was somehow knocked into an independent orbit. Either that or the KBO hypothesis is most reasonable to me.

I will certainly check out the results from the New Horizons mission, and we will probably advance our Pluto knowledge by several score. But, regardless, I am more intrigued by the moons Titan, Europa and Io.

 

[Lilypad]

Pluto is a sentimental favorite to remain a planet among both scientists and the public.
It's been my fav since 3rd grade

 

[Kain99]

Pluto is a sentimental favorite to remain a planet among both scientists and the public.
It's been my fav since 3rd grade

Speaking of sentimental.... Click here to go back! http://www.school-house-rock.com/Inte.html

 

[Bustem' Down]

I subscibe to the binary planet idea. Both Pluto and it's moon Charon are planets orbiting the Sun.

 

[jazz lady]

Generally, I don't mind calling it a planet... but there just seems to be something wrong in that label. Everything about Pluto is peculiar: size, orbit, composition (for its location).

The term planet has been ill-defined and is way too general but it's the only thing we have for classification as of now. It shares a lot of traits with other planets but its orbit is more like an asteroid and its size is very small in relationship to the others.

There has been speculation that it was a moon - of Neptune, probably - that was somehow knocked into an independent orbit. Either that or the KBO hypothesis is most reasonable to me.

Either one is a good explanation for its 'freakishness' but until more evidence is presented, we will have to be content to speculate.

I will certainly check out the results from the New Horizons mission, and we will probably advance our Pluto knowledge by several score. But, regardless, I am more intrigued by the moons Titan, Europa and Io.

I think that mission will answer quite a few questions, but it won't approach Pluto until 2015.

 

[jazz lady]

Speaking of sentimental.... Click here to go back! http://www.school-house-rock.com/Inte.html

 

[jazz lady]

I subscibe to the binary planet idea. Both Pluto and it's moon Charon are planets orbiting the Sun.

I totally agree. They're rotating around each other in an orbit around the sun rather than how the moon revolves around Earth.

 

[LexiGirl75]

I fully believe that Sir William Herschel named it Uranus as the biggest cosmic joke in history.


SWH: I say, Winston take a look there! Do you see it?
Winston, the Lab Assistant: Wat ho?
SWH: I do believe that's a planet Winston. Go fetch my notebook
Winston: 'Ere y'go, sirrah!
SWH: Jolly good. And I've thought of a smashing name for it!
Winston: What you gonna call it sirrah?
SWH: Uranus.
Winston: Your... ? hu.. huhh-whaahaha!Your anus?!
(Both):
Winston: Ay-wot! Bloody fine name for it! Wot-wot.
SWH: Indeed. Now be a good chap and fix us some crumpets and tea. Before I kick Uranus

Too cute.

 

[Toxick]

I totally agree. They're rotating around each other in an orbit around the sun rather than how the moon revolves around Earth.

You know they call earth a 'double planet' too. Because technically, the earth and moon revolve around each other. Or more accurately - they both revolve around a barycenter.

But that's splitting hairs, because, as it happens, the barycenter around which the earth and moon revolve is 1000 miles below the earth's surface. But the wobble is big enough to make the distinction that the earth and moon revolve around each other.

Something else that I've always thought was interesting is that the rotation of the earth is being slowed by the moon. The same side of the moon always faces earth, because it's tidal-locked. Eventually the earth will also be tidal locked to the moon, so that the same side of the earth always faces the moon - which, I expect will make nights incredibly boring on the side which ends up being bereft of moonlight. Pluto and Charon are tidal locked already.

 

[chernmax]

.........................

 

[jazz lady]

You know they call earth a 'double planet' too. Because technically, the earth and moon revolve around each other. Or more accurately - they both revolve around a barycenter.

But that's splitting hairs, because, as it happens, the barycenter around which the earth and moon revolve is 1000 miles below the earth's surface. But the wobble is big enough to make the distinction that the earth and moon revolve around each other.

I've never heard the Earth/Moon combo called a true 'double planet' - only Pluto/Charon.

In this usage, there has been some debate on precisely where to draw the line between a double planet and a planet-moon system. In most cases, it is not an issue because the moon is of very small mass relative to its host planet. In particular, the Earth-Moon and Pluto-Charon systems are the only examples in our present Solar System where the mass of a moon is larger than one fortieth of one percent of the mass of the host planet (i.e. mass ratio of 0.00025 or less). On the other hand, the Earth and the Moon have a mass ratio of 0.01230, and Pluto and its moon Charon have a mass ratio of 0.147. A commonly accepted cutoff point is when the center of mass that the two objects orbit around (the barycenter) is not located under the surface of either body, in which case the barycenter is in space between the two bodies. This literally makes the difference between whether one body orbits around the other body, or whether both bodies orbit about a point in space between them. By this definition, Pluto and Charon qualify as a double planet and Earth and Moon do not.

Double planets information


I've read about barycenters somewhere in my travels and thought it was an interesting but very little known or understood fact. It's actually true for any planet that orbits around another one. Good explanation of what a barycenter is.

Something else that I've always thought was interesting is that the rotation of the earth is being slowed by the moon. The same side of the moon always faces earth, because it's tidal-locked. Eventually the earth will also be tidal locked to the moon, so that the same side of the earth always faces the moon - which, I expect will make nights incredibly boring on the side which ends up being bereft of moonlight. Pluto and Charon are tidal locked already.

I was reading that about Pluto and Charon last night and didn't know that. Granted, it will be millions of years in the future but eventually it will happen. More fun facts about Pluto and Charon.

 

[Toxick]

.........................

Beg pardon?

And who the #### are you again?

 

[chernmax]

Beg pardon?

And who the #### are you again?

Oh don't get all Toxic and stuff...

 

[Toxick]

Oh don't get all Toxic and stuff...

I won't get all toxic and stuff, so long as someone doesn't send me snotty-ass replies from out of left field.

Hows that?

 

[hvp05]

You know they call earth a 'double planet' too. Because technically, the earth and moon revolve around each other. Or more accurately - they both revolve around a barycenter.

Word of the day! Occasionally a post sparks a real thought.

Something else that I've always thought was interesting is that the rotation of the earth is being slowed by the moon.

Plus, the moon is receding at just under 4 cm/yr.

 

[chernmax]

I won't get all toxic and stuff, so long as someone doesn't send me snotty-ass replies from out of left field.

Hows that?

OK, I'll stay in right field next time... On a better note, i did learn something today...

 

[Toxick]

Well, I guess the point is moot now:

It's official.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5631291




Pluto retains its Planet status.