Astronomers have voted to strip Pluto of its status as a planet. About 2,500 scientists meeting in Prague have adopted historic new guidelines that see the small, distant world demoted to a secondary category. The researchers said Pluto failed to dominate its orbit around the Sun in the same way as the other planets. The International Astronomical Union's (IAU) decision means textbooks will now have to describe a Solar System with just eight major planetary bodies. Pluto, which was discovered in 1930 by the American Clyde Tombaugh, will be referred to as a "dwarf planet".
Now that's mean! This little bugger always stayed on th fringes of the system and tried not to catch anybodies attention. Shy maybe but a nice fella to know. But now it's not a planet anymore? That's fachists for you!
Agreed, Darien, there's no room for poser planets in this solar system. If there's one think I can't stand, it's uncool space rocks trying to pass themselves off as a tres cool planet. I understand that there's been more than a few nukes being passed around in recent years. Might I suggest a fun and interesting use for them?
This was going on even when I was back at college. I'd forgotten all about it til I was watching the smarty panel quiz show QI couple years back and it came up as a question. The answer 9 being stated as wrong.
I heard the opposite as well, actually, but I haven't exactly been following it faithfully. The whole thing seems a bit asinine to me, though. I mean, personally I care little enough about the whole thing that I'll keep calling it a planet regardless, and, well... I doubt I'm the only one.
Want to give some dough back to all those amazing pixel artists? Donations provide prize money for contests, help cover hosting costs and support new initiatives.
good find
