The 12 Planets

[Charlotteman]

Ah I feel kind of sad about Pluto's demotion!

I'm certainly no astronomer, nor an expert in science, but I think they made a wrong decision here. Look at Mercury--it's puny as all get out~~~but still will continue to be called a planet!

And Mars isn't exactly a gargantuan planet either-lol

Too bad they decided size would be such an important aspect of their decision.

But nonetheless, whatever they decide to classify Pluto as, it still remains a facinating system along with its disproportionaly large moon Charon and its other two satellites.

btw is the accepted pronounciation "Sharon" or "Kye-run"?

[AuLukey]

Maybe I got it wrong, but I am sure I read that book right that said Earth was Roman and Gaia was Greek. Or maybe it's both Gaia but she was the goddess of Earth. Yeah the word Earth didn't come from the ancient Romans. Also I guess Terra Mater was too much of a name for an 8 year old to learn back in the dark ages.

Ok, well now I don't feel so bad about the NC education thing then.

[Cadeho]

They just keep finding more and more ways to prove that size matters...

Mercury and Mars are much bigger than Pluto though. It's smaller than our moon.

[waccamatt]

Poor Pluto.

[snoogit]

I'm certainly no astronomer, nor an expert in science, but I think they made a wrong decision here. Look at Mercury--it's puny as all get out~~~but still will continue to be called a planet!

Mercury is still twice as large as Pluto

Too bad they decided size would be such an important aspect of their decision.

They didn't, they determined orbits as definition of a planet. Pluto's orbit was deemed too irregular to fit.

But nonetheless, whatever they decide to classify Pluto as, it still remains a facinating system along with its disproportionaly large moon Charon and its other two satellites.

btw is the accepted pronounciation "Sharon" or "Kye-run"?

It's actually Kye-Ron like Ronald

[MR-2]

I'm a bit confused. That vote came from only 454 of the astronomers at a conference of 2500. Are we completely sure it's over?

[Chtimi]

Too bad I have a thing for Pluto.

Now Xena and Gabrielle are named Eris and Dysnomia.

[MR-2]

A dwarf planet is still a planet, as far as I see. It just has other planets of comparable size in its orbital region.

Dwarf Stars are still stars, after all.

I look forward to the probe missions NASA has sent to Pluto, Mercury, and Ceres. Our knowledge of these objects has been lacking; to me they're the most fascinating things in the solar system.

[Charlotteman]

MR-2 I agree. Pluto/Charon is definitely an interesting system. Wouldn't it be facinating to be alive when man first steps foot on Pluto!

[TBurban]

MR-2 I agree. Pluto/Charon is definitely an interesting system. Wouldn't it be facinating to be alive when man first steps foot on Pluto!

Well shoot! It would be fascinating to be alive when they finally get a man on Mars! On Pluto, Ive heard many different things and Im still puzzled as to what it is exactly, still a planet?

[Cadeho]

We'll be old for Mars... if we survive the close call with an asteroid in 2012...

I think the satellite to Pluto will start beaming back info in 2009... it's a... dwarf planet.

I'll be interesting to see what new stuff we can get from Mercury.

Ceres... meh it's still an asteroid to me.