There was a hardware problem on the ol’ BA server earlier that took several hours to track down and fix. I’m sure a lot of you noticed, though I only got one email. Sniff! But things are ticking along again (in fact, things are looking better since Fraser tracked down an irritating runaway process).
Just in time, too. I have some very interesting news about Pluto… which I cannot reveal until 11:00 Pacific time tonight. There is a press embargo from the IAU meeting in Prague, and so I cannot post what I know until then. But as soon as the embargo is lifted I’ll post. Stay Tuned.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:16 pm
I’d really like to wait up until then, but the status of Plutowill have to wait until morning for this midwesterner.
But I can’t wait to read what you say.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:20 pm
A quick search of astronomy related sites that deal with the IAU show there is to be a vote on including 3 new objects as planets, boosting the number from 9 to 12. The three are Ceres, Charon and UB313. No talk about kicking Pluto of the elite 9. Ceres is considered large enough for planetary status. charon–believed to be a moon of Pluto is now considered a double planet with Pluto abd UB313 is a trans plutonian object believed to be larger than Pluto. Apparently it is possible using the new criteria that a number of other objects could be added at some future point.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Sweet! I shall eagerly await the scoop.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
Weenie. I’m just now seeing the site back up and only have to wait a little more than 35 min.
August 15th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
oh crap. It says it’s only 9:30 there? I thought it was a 1 hour difference. Yeah, I might be in bed by then. Dang ol’ rotatin’ planet…
August 15th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Looks like Coast to Coast and the Scotsman jumped the gun. They are saying we will be seeing the Pluton classifaction for those pesky Kuiper belt objects. Guess they didn’t get the embargo memo. I just went to listen to your show last night and they had the Pluto news on the front page.
August 15th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
isn’t it 11 now? where’s the news?
August 15th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
sorry math totally off. very late on the east coast.
August 15th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
You realize Bad Astronomer Plait that if they don’t recognize our planetary status, we’ll be forced to close our embassy and take the long, 9 year return trip back home. We will surely miss your Earthly delights, such as liquid water and spaghetti. But so be it!
Zorgon III, Ambassador of Pluto
August 15th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
Was sitting here thinking “wow, BA is usually punctual” and playing a video of Animotion’s “Obsession” in another window, when the overload of 80’s mullets and big hair tweaked my brain into realizing that 11 PM PDT is 2 AM EDT, not 1 AM.
I wonder what epiphany I’d have had if I’d found an old Bee Gees video from the 70’s.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:08 pm
It’s 11:03 PM Pacific time!
August 15th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
Dover, DE (FP)
In a surprise move, lawers at Cheatem and Bilkem have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Moon, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa, Triton, Rhea, Iapetus, Dione, Tethys, Tritania, Oberon, Umbriel and Ariel at the International Court in The Hague.
“Our clients are being denied their rightful billing as planets,” said lead counsel Richard Visage, “and unfair billing is being distributed to smaller, insignificant objects in the outer rim.” It is believed that the plaintiffs are seeking status and punitive damages from the IAU.
When interviewed for comment, Mercury had this to say, “I don’t know what they’re on about. I’ve been a planet for a long time and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. They named me after a naked man with wings on his feet… how do you live that down? Pass the sun screen please.”
Ceres, traditionally quiet on the whole planet issue was more direct “4.5 billion years I floated out here, minding my own business. This lot, these ‘moons’ *HAD* to go float around Jupiter and Saturn or that icky Earth. Oh they were so cool back then. Now they’re ticked because they can’t be planets. They can kiss my asteroids. Patience paid off and I’m a planet now, so those bunch of moon rocks can go . I made the big leagues and they’re just jealous. Here’s a moon for ‘em”
Most of the plaintiffs were unreachable, but Io was adamant, “I got stuck here in the early days. I’ve been erupting crap for billions of years trying to blow this popsicle stand. Look, if that fat yellow blob in the middle didn’t hog up all the mass when we were young, I might be orbiting a star in my own right. I’m bigger and sexier than Pluto and Quaor. People look at me all the time, nobody sees those other two. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to have an eruption.”
Lawyers for the IAU have not had time to review the court filing and had no comment at this time.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:05 am
After hearing Mercury’s comment, Uranus responded, “You think *you* have something to complain about?”
August 16th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Pluto Demoted to Dwarf Status, Ceres Promoted to Pluton, My Left Pinky Named Matilda…
I read this morning that in a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, Pluto has been demoted to the new status of “pluton,” or dwarf planet, while the objects Ceres, Xena, and Charon have been promoted to dwarf planet status for th…
August 16th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
“I’m sure a lot of you noticed, though I only got one email. Sniff!”
Some time ago you mentioned that you get over 100 emails a day. I figured you didn’t need one more telling you what you already knew!