Comments on: IAU blogging

By: JERRY JACOBS

JERRY JACOBS — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:40:42 +0000

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.

By: spacewriter

spacewriter — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:10:16 +0000

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.)

By: MaDeR

MaDeR — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 11:21:33 +0000

“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.

By: thomas

thomas — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 06:47:47 +0000

Thanks for the link!

Thomas

By: Chip

Chip — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:32:24 +0000

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.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:08:15 +0000

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.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 21:54:28 +0000

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!!