It's been a tough month for stars and planets...

"PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP)Pluto gets the boot. 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."

I don't know about you guys, but I'm too old to switch to an eight planet solar system.

Bring back Pluto!

I'm all for naming the original Death Star as an 'honorary' planet.

I read in the paper this week that they are relaxing the requirements for planets, and there may be a dozen more, and now this!

I hear they've been having a lot of trouble with Pluto and its weird appearances and annoucements, like the other planets dependancy on the Sun.

I've been following this with great interest. The problem with Pluto is three-fold: its size (Jupiter and Saturn have moons larger than it and our own moon is slightly smaller), its irregular orbit (a significant deviation from the ecliptic, the plane in which the eight orther planets orbit) and its residency in the Kuiper Belt (where the left-over junk from the Solar System's formation is). Compounding the problem is that scientists had defined everything else in the cosmos except how to define a "planet".

The proposal from two or three weeks ago was that they would define a planet as an object orbiting a star that is not a star, that is not orbiting some other body and that it was large enough so that its internal gravity would override other structural forces (thus making it a sphere). Under that definition, the Solar System would have at least 12 bodies: not only making Pluto qualify, but also Xena, Charon (Pluto's companion) and Ceres, a body that resides in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

According to various astronomers, the problem with this relaxed definition is that they found it could not be used outside of our Solar System (I don't fully understand why not, but I figured they know what they're talking about). Since they wanted to establish a universal definition for a planet, they tacked on an additional criteria: the body must be large enough to establish "orbital dominance." Meaning, the object must be able to knock things out of its way as it orbits the sun. Under that definition, it knocks out Charon (because it doesn't knock out Pluto), Xena (because it resides deeper in the Kuiper Belt and is surrounded by other junk), Ceres (because it can't knock out other asteroids) and Pluto (because it can't knock out Neptune).

I don't know about you guys, but I'm too old to switch to an eight planet solar system.

Stephen Colbert came up with a solution for that:

My Very Eager Mother Just Said "Uh-oh, No Pluto"

why dont they Dump STAR Jones???

Pluto wears a hairpiece.

Pluto wears a hairpiece.

Pluto's gay too. And a guy who wore the vest o' power at Walmart told me he went to highschool with Pluto, and Pluto would put mirrors on his shoes to look up other planetary body's dresses.

Pluto had it coming. Did anyone ever really take a planet named after Micky's dog seriously?

John O.

. . . Under that definition, it knocks out Charon (because it doesn't knock out Pluto), Xena (because it resides deeper in the Kuiper Belt and is surrounded by other junk), Ceres (because it can't knock out other asteroids) and Pluto (because it can't knock out Neptune).Hey, Xena can knock out anything! That chick kicks butt!

[IMG-LEFT]http://files.myopera.com/Kevin%20Bacon/albums/20826/thumbs/xena.jpg_thumb.jpg[/IMG-LEFT]


But no Pluto? That's just Goofy!

Come to think of it, Pluto always has been kind of aloof and stand-offish. Secretive too -- like there's something to hide. Nobody likes a slyboots.

Some planets are their own worst enemy.

What is this Survivor: Solar System?

Pluto's been voted off the Island, now take your moon and go away! ;)

Hey, Xena can knock out anything! That chick kicks butt!

[IMG-LEFT]http://files.myopera.com/Kevin%20Bacon/albums/20826/thumbs/xena.jpg_thumb.jpg[/IMG-LEFT]




Hey, notice I didn't say Xena couldn't knock out anything... ;)

you guys are just jealous of Pluto!!!!

I say we go ahead and rescind Pluto's status as a planet and replace him with Goofy. Sure, the Goof is ... well, goofy, but he wears more than just a collar and he can walk on two legs and speak. In addition, he has a long history of public service, having made many films where he taught us "how to" do many things. For a dog, he's pretty impressive. Pluto is still out back of Mickey's house, chasing chipmunks.

Qapla'

SSB

*nevermind*

I say it's a planet, and I say the hell with it!

I'm all for scrutinizing the following for planethood:


Dollar World
Planet Pizza
Disney World
Sea World
PC World
Captain Planet
Fantastic Planet
Planet of Blood
Planet of the Vampires
Treasure Planet
Planet Moo
Planet X
Wiggly World
Bizarro World
Petticoat Planet
Zombie Planet
Miss World
Pac-Man World
Phantom Planet
Planet Arous
Planet B
Spice World
Cool World
Wubbulous World
Mysterious World
Animal Planet
Forbidden Planet
Water World
Real World

Pluto had it coming. Did anyone ever really take a planet named after Micky's dog seriously?

John O.

Other way around, actually.
Not that it matters now.
http://www.inpayne.com/smilies/smiley083.gif

In the list of worlds to consider, you forgot Wal-Mart. And there are some people the size of minor planets shopping in the one near me.

What is this going to do to astrologers, who had to scramble to include Pluto after it was discovered, and now have to un-include it? (or Yogi Berra: "Include it out.")

You forgot Bluto. He's about as big as a planet, and the name is similar.

Or the Planet of the Apes?

Wait a minute...that was OUR world!!!!!!!

Other way around, actually.
(Ya, I knew that, but the other way around's not very funny).

John O.

ok, ok! i see how it is! well , when Pluto comes to visit, only i will be able to say i respected him as a planet while all you guys were dissing him!!

Or the Planet of the Apes?

Wait a minute...that was OUR world!!!!!!!

WHAT??!! Damn them! Damn them all to eich-ee-double hockey sticks!!!

I thought he was the funniest character in Animal House.

What?

Oh, um, nevermind...

I'm all for scrutinizing the following for planethood:

[list]
Dollar World
Planet Pizza
Disney WorldFirst, that's Walt Disney World to you, buddy. Second, you failed to mention The World According to Garp, and though you mentioned Planet Pizza, you forgot its binary twin, Pizza Planet -- home of The Claw.

Qapla'

SSB