August 14, 2006

On the Edge

No, No not the ceasefire. The planet status of Pluto. Almost 2,500 astronomers are getting together (Party!) to decide if Pluto should still be cosidered a planet. Pluto has always been kind of the freak of the Solar System. Its really small and on a wierd orbit and just not like the other, cooler planets.

Now it turns out a new planet-thing has been found, way out there on the edge. Offically 2003 UB313 and unoffically called "Zena" Its both bigger and farther away from the sun than Pluto. So if Pluto is still a planet, then we are going to get some new planets.

The astronomers are split as to what to do.

Me, I vote for keeping Pluto a planet, if only because the nine planets are something I learned at a very early age. I'm afraid that changing them will upset my view of the universe in some deep and fundimental way.

Plus we wouldto have to come up with a different mnemonic than My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Heck, when I went to school, Jupiter only had 12 moons and Saturn 9.