Quick Jump Daily Digest

**TeamOverload** · 08-24-2006, 05:52 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/0....ap/index.html

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930.

The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.

Pluto is no stranger to controversy. In fact, it's been dogged by disputes ever since its discovery. (Watch why some think planet size doesn't matter -- 3:39)

Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh of Arizona's Lowell Observatory, Pluto was classified as a planet because scientists initially believed it was the same size as Earth. It remained one because for years, it was the only known object in the Kuiper Belt, an enigmatic zone beyond Neptune that's teeming with comets and other planetary objects.

Pluto got an ego boost in 1978 when it was found to have a moon that was later named Charon. The Hubble turned up two more, which this past June were christened Nix and Hydra.

But in the 1990s, more powerful telescopes revealed numerous bodies similar to Pluto in the neighborhood. New observations also showed that Pluto's orbit was oblong, sending it soaring well above and beyond the main plane of the solar system where Earth and the other seven planets circle the sun.

That prompted some galactic grumbling from astronomers who began openly attacking Pluto's planethood.

At one point, things looked so bad for Pluto, the international union said publicly in 1999 that rumors of Pluto's imminent demise were greatly exaggerated and there were no plans to kick it out of the cosmic club.

A year later, the Hayden Planetarium at New York's American Museum of Natural History was accused of snubbing Pluto by excluding it from a solar system exhibition.

Pluto took another hit after Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology discovered 2003 UB313, a slightly larger Kuiper Belt object. What's the point, some astronomers wondered, in keeping Pluto as a planet?

Its future brightened earlier this year, when NASA sent the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto to get a closer look at the ball of rock and ice. The Hubble has managed to glimpse only its most prominent surface features; New Horizons, if all goes well, will arrive in 2015.

**iball®** · 08-24-2006, 05:57 AM

Well, an assload of textbooks are about to be re-written and sold to schools.

**nosrak113** · 08-24-2006, 05:58 AM

is pluto not being a planet a good thing? yah?

**TeamOverload** · 08-24-2006, 05:59 AM

Zitat von nosrak113

is pluto not being a planet a good thing? yah?

Not really, no.

**GWKYOU** · 08-24-2006, 06:01 AM

It all depends on who you are, text book companies VARY good thing, schools bad thing, poor schools nutrule, Every one elts it all depends.

**iball®** · 08-24-2006, 06:03 AM

Hated the damn dog, hated the planet. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.

**tehPARADOX** · 08-24-2006, 06:07 AM

No major impact on us whatsoever, unless we're studying that field.

Zitat von iball®

Hated the damn dog, hated the planet. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.

I laughed.

**madsoul** · 08-24-2006, 06:18 AM

who cares really, its still a round rock.

TheMarioKarters · 08-24-2006, 06:25 AM

Meh..I never even learned anything about Pluto, except "It's far away and cold" I could care less about it not being a planet

Zitat von iball®

Hated the damn dog, hated the planet. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.

:ROFL:

**Glynnder** · 08-24-2006, 06:28 AM

good,pluto sux

**bossmanuk** · 08-24-2006, 06:31 AM

I suppose Pluto not being a planet is better for schools than adding another 3 planets to the textbooks. At least with Pluto not being a planet they can simply write over it in the textbooks. If there were 12 planets in the solar system, they'd surely have to buy new textbooks.

**Ninjax1** · 08-24-2006, 06:33 AM

Pluto is t3h sUx0rz!

**Chrono6456** · 08-24-2006, 06:42 AM

Well then, now we know that there are people out there that argue over whether a rock, billions of miles away in cold desolate space, is a panet, or not, while they could have a job that actually helps society

**Pythn64** · 08-24-2006, 06:43 AM

Yea But You Guys,

My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine........

Now What Will Little Kindergardeners Learn To Remember The Planets?

**Chathurga** · 08-24-2006, 10:06 AM

Zitat von SpartanIIMark6

Well then, now we know that there are people out there that argue over whether a rock, billions of miles away in cold desolate space, is a panet, or not, while they could have a job that actually helps society

Worst arguement ever.
You could be off this forum and get a job that actually helps society.

Zitat von Pythn64

Yea But You Guys,
My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine........
Now What Will Little Kindergardeners Learn To Remember The Planets?

By just learning them.

**soccerPMN** · 08-24-2006, 10:15 AM

Wow, what news! :)

**Hooger** · 08-24-2006, 10:20 AM

My very exceptional mother just said ur nothing.

**Nero** · 08-24-2006, 10:27 AM

this means more work in schook means harder exams

**Chrono6456** · 08-24-2006, 10:31 AM

Zitat von Chathurga

Worst arguement ever.
You could be off this forum and get a job that actually helps society.

By just learning them.

Well, your an idiot, I do have a job, I work at my school

**Abe_Froeman** · 08-24-2006, 10:54 AM

Please cool off in here with the flames and personal insults. It's not needed and no one cares to read it.

**kibbles** · 08-24-2006, 10:55 AM

what is it then a meteor? asteroid?

**Nero** · 08-24-2006, 11:02 AM

just a big lump of rock

**motz** · 08-24-2006, 11:51 AM

Zitat von TeamOverload

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/0....ap/index.html

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.

After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930.

The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.

Pluto is no stranger to controversy. In fact, it's been dogged by disputes ever since its discovery. (Watch why some think planet size doesn't matter -- 3:39)

Discovered by Clyde Tombaugh of Arizona's Lowell Observatory, Pluto was classified as a planet because scientists initially believed it was the same size as Earth. It remained one because for years, it was the only known object in the Kuiper Belt, an enigmatic zone beyond Neptune that's teeming with comets and other planetary objects.

Pluto got an ego boost in 1978 when it was found to have a moon that was later named Charon. The Hubble turned up two more, which this past June were christened Nix and Hydra.

But in the 1990s, more powerful telescopes revealed numerous bodies similar to Pluto in the neighborhood. New observations also showed that Pluto's orbit was oblong, sending it soaring well above and beyond the main plane of the solar system where Earth and the other seven planets circle the sun.

That prompted some galactic grumbling from astronomers who began openly attacking Pluto's planethood.

At one point, things looked so bad for Pluto, the international union said publicly in 1999 that rumors of Pluto's imminent demise were greatly exaggerated and there were no plans to kick it out of the cosmic club.

A year later, the Hayden Planetarium at New York's American Museum of Natural History was accused of snubbing Pluto by excluding it from a solar system exhibition.

Pluto took another hit after Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology discovered 2003 UB313, a slightly larger Kuiper Belt object. What's the point, some astronomers wondered, in keeping Pluto as a planet?

Its future brightened earlier this year, when NASA sent the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto to get a closer look at the ball of rock and ice. The Hubble has managed to glimpse only its most prominent surface features; New Horizons, if all goes well, will arrive in 2015.

Wow, thats interesting. Pretty stupid to change it now though after all these years.

**kibbles** · 08-24-2006, 02:02 PM

Zitat von dante_emo hunter

just a big lump of rock

seriously or r u joking

**madsoul** · 08-24-2006, 02:04 PM

Zitat von kibbles'n'bits

seriously or r u joking

pluto is just like the moon but a little bigger.

**Nero** · 08-24-2006, 02:23 PM

yeah a big COLD lump of rock

**AzureBlack** · 08-24-2006, 02:28 PM

I love these random controversies. Just like how apparently the oceans of earth were put here by a comet passing by the earth at rather close proximity, creating the biblical "Noah's Ark" story and creating all the plagues of egypt. The comet orbitted the earth, causing destruction, until it slowed down from earth's gravity enough to become the moon we know today. Apparently, a few thousand years ago there was no moon at all. I cant remember who to quote on that one.