Comments on: Still a planet to me… http://www.davejustus.com/2006/08/24/still-a-planet-to-me/ None Sine Causa Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:45:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Dave Miller http://www.davejustus.com/2006/08/24/still-a-planet-to-me/#comment-3949 Dave Miller Fri, 25 Aug 2006 06:49:22 +0000 http://www.davejustus.com/2006/08/24/still-a-planet-to-me/#comment-3949 Honestly, it never made much sense to me that Pluto <i>was</i> a planet. It doesn't orbit on the same plane as the other planets, it doesn't have the same shape orbit as they do, and it's "moon" or "co-planet" or whatever, is barely much smaller than it is. It's clearly space junk that got kicked out of whatever orbit it was in. I think the requirement that a planet clear it's orbit makes a lot of sense. Clearly, when Pluto and Neptune meet, Neptune is going to win. Really, though, the concept of "planet" is arbitrary and subjective, no matter how you peel it. I think it should be "Any body that formed as a primary gravity-spherical body out of the original accretion disk of a star." Anything else needs a qualifier, like "Captured planet" or "Sub-stellar body". But really, "planet" by itself doesn't <i>mean</i> anything of value, so how it's defined really isn't important. Honestly, it never made much sense to me that Pluto was a planet. It doesn’t orbit on the same plane as the other planets, it doesn’t have the same shape orbit as they do, and it’s “moon” or “co-planet” or whatever, is barely much smaller than it is. It’s clearly space junk that got kicked out of whatever orbit it was in.

I think the requirement that a planet clear it’s orbit makes a lot of sense. Clearly, when Pluto and Neptune meet, Neptune is going to win.

Really, though, the concept of “planet” is arbitrary and subjective, no matter how you peel it. I think it should be “Any body that formed as a primary gravity-spherical body out of the original accretion disk of a star.” Anything else needs a qualifier, like “Captured planet” or “Sub-stellar body”. But really, “planet” by itself doesn’t mean anything of value, so how it’s defined really isn’t important.

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