I don’t generally link to a blog just because someone asks me too, but this one is different and I think will be of interest to BABloggees.
The International Astronomical Union is (AFAIK) the largest professional society of astronomers on the planet. The meetings are quite the affair, and in general a lot of cool news comes out of them. To keep up with that, astronomer Thomas Marquart has created a site where astronomers can live-blog the meeting. This is a great opportunity to see how different astronomers perceive what’s going on around them in the middle of all that chaos. 
It should make for a fun and interesting read.
Thomas told me it will only be up temporarily, so read it while you can! The meeting is in Prague (sigh, oh, I wish I could have gone!) from August 14 – 25.
August 14th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
I realize news agencies cannot report on every subject of study being discussed, but according to CNN and the BBC, the AFAIK meeting in Prague is only about whether or not Pluto should be called a planet:
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=45701
August 14th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
ONe can only wonder if there will be some contentious blogging going on about the Ppluto debate, and the subsequent votes.
I myself an of two minds about the situation, so it’s good I won’t be voting!!
August 14th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
I used to tell my astronomy class that Pluto had “dual citizenship” as a planet and as a Kuiper Belt Object, but now I am leaning towards striking it from the list of planets. It just doesn’t make any sense to keep it on there other than sentimentality.
August 14th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
I have a strong passion for astronomy, but whether Pluto is a planet or a Kuiper Belt Object or a captured spherical Asteroid really doesn’t excite my imagination. It is a real world and I’d love to see its surface.
I also look forward to the day when we discover an Earthlike planet orbiting a gas giant, and that system in turn orbits a star. There will then likely be another debate off in some corner as to if it is a planet or a moon.
It appears the Pluto debate gets into publisher’s budgets with regard to reprinting textbooks if its proclaimed a non-planet of some kind, so maybe that’s where all the hoopla sits with some folks, but astronomy books are always being updated. As evidenced by the BA’s blog links, 3000 astronomers are not meeting only to debate over the proper definition of Pluto, but the CNN and BBC reports give that impression, which is kind of funny.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for the link!
Thomas
August 15th, 2006 at 4:21 am
“There will then likely be another debate off in some corner as to if it is a planet or a moon.”
No, it will be still moon. We here have already a few planet-sized moons in our solar system. For example, if Titan was on orbit around sun, he for sure would get a full-flegded planet status.
August 15th, 2006 at 10:10 am
We should hear soon about the whole Pluto thing. I think that it’s interesting that the press has picked up on only on Pluto from the meeting, despite other very interesting results being presented.
However, I suspect the reason they do is because the other results (such as metal-poor “young” galaxies) require explanation (and understanding) that many reporters will not take the time (or don’t have the knowledge) to make. “Is Pluto a planet or not?” is an easier topic to broach in some ways because the public knows what planets are (or what we’re taught in school) and it’s easier to cast the whole thing as a yes or now, up or down question, complete with dueling scientists. More drama that way.
But, there will be an announcement made and then the discussions will continue.
(My pragmatic view of the press is tempered by the fact that I was a journalist once and am an astronomer always.)
August 16th, 2006 at 10:40 am
Some scientists don’t like to be confused by thinking about another discovery that they have not discovered.
They find it hard to admit that they are not the greatest genius of all time.
I hate to say this fellas and girls but denying the greatness of the really great ones does not make you any more than a second rater in any case.