Comments on: New Mexico to Pluto: you’re always a planet to us http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:02:45 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Alexis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-162361 Alexis Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:47:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-162361 Illinois is also "declaring " it is a Planet. http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2009/03/090311-pluto-planet-illinois.html Illinois is also “declaring ” it is a Planet.

http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2009/03/090311-pluto-planet-illinois.html

]]> By: Deniz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-141211 Deniz Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:08:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-141211 I commend New Mexico for speaking out against the IAU's decision to demote Pluto. Not only should they not have done that, but they never had the authority to do so. No government gave the recognition or authority, nobody voted in representatives to the IAU. In fact, New Mexico's declaration has more authority because their government was elected. And many scientists devalue the IAU's authority. I commend New Mexico for speaking out against the IAU’s decision to demote Pluto. Not only should they not have done that, but they never had the authority to do so. No government gave the recognition or authority, nobody voted in representatives to the IAU. In fact, New Mexico’s declaration has more authority because their government was elected. And many scientists devalue the IAU’s authority.

]]> By: Elena http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-32300 Elena Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:21:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-32300 Have the scientists discovered so little they have to resort to degrading objects in the sky. I believe Pluto is a planet because frankly, to be a planet you have to orbit the sun---which Pluto does----you have to have your own space in the sky----which Pluto obviously does-----Have your own moon or moons----which Pluto does. I mean God! Just because its small doesnt mean its not a planet. Just because someones only four foot tall does that mean that they cant be 16 years old? Everything comes in different sizes--uranus is a planet yet it spins on its side and is the only planet to do so! Shall we say Uranus isnt a planet but a rolly-polly planet!!! Have the scientists discovered so little they have to resort to degrading objects in the sky.
I believe Pluto is a planet because frankly, to be a planet you have to orbit the sun—which Pluto does—-you have to have your own space in the sky—-which Pluto obviously does—–Have your own moon or moons—-which Pluto does. I mean God! Just because its small doesnt mean its not a planet. Just because someones only four foot tall does that mean that they cant be 16 years old? Everything comes in different sizes–uranus is a planet yet it spins on its side and is the only planet to do so! Shall we say Uranus isnt a planet but a rolly-polly planet!!!

]]> By: Laurel Kornfeld http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-32299 Laurel Kornfeld Fri, 21 Sep 2007 05:01:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-32299 Steve R., I second your comments wholeheartedly. Subdividing the larger category of "planets" into various subcategories, all of which still are full fledged planets, is what makes the most sense. The IAU decision does not even make linguistic sense, as it claims a "dwarf planet" is NOT a planet at all. And only 424 out of 10,000 IAU members voted. No absentee voting was allowed, meaning any members who didn't attend the conference or left before the last day couldn't vote at all. The group that voted was not clearly a random sample. It was a heavy concentration of dynamicists over planetary scientists; most who voted study astronomical topics other than planets. New Mexico is not the only state where children are still being taught that Pluto is a planet. Teachers in many school districts across the country are still including Pluto. Some are adding a caveat that this issue is still very much undecided. I have made sure to teach my four-year-old nephew that Pluto and Eris are both planets, albeit small ones. The IAU decision was a fiasco for multiple reasons, and the fact that Alan Stern, one of the leading authorities on Pluto in the world decried it as "sloppy science that would never pass peer review" shows just how flawed both the process and the outcome were. I wholeheartedly look forward to this being overturned in 2009. If we end up having 20, 50, or even 100 planets as a result of a more sensible definition, so much the better. Steve R., I second your comments wholeheartedly. Subdividing the larger category of “planets” into various subcategories, all of which still are full fledged planets, is what makes the most sense. The IAU decision does not even make linguistic sense, as it claims a “dwarf planet” is NOT a planet at all. And only 424 out of 10,000 IAU members voted. No absentee voting was allowed, meaning any members who didn’t attend the conference or left before the last day couldn’t vote at all. The group that voted was not clearly a random sample. It was a heavy concentration of dynamicists over planetary scientists; most who voted study astronomical topics other than planets.

New Mexico is not the only state where children are still being taught that Pluto is a planet. Teachers in many school districts across the country are still including Pluto. Some are adding a caveat that this issue is still very much undecided. I have made sure to teach my four-year-old nephew that Pluto and Eris are both planets, albeit small ones.

The IAU decision was a fiasco for multiple reasons, and the fact that Alan Stern, one of the leading authorities on Pluto in the world decried it as “sloppy science that would never pass peer review” shows just how flawed both the process and the outcome were. I wholeheartedly look forward to this being overturned in 2009. If we end up having 20, 50, or even 100 planets as a result of a more sensible definition, so much the better.

]]> By: Screw Pluto Lets Bring Back Ceres « The e-Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-32298 Screw Pluto Lets Bring Back Ceres « The e-Astronomer Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:15:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-32298 [...] as noted by the Bad Astronomer, the State of New Mexico recently passed legislation declaring that Pluto is a planet, at least while passing through New Mexican skies. The State of California has debated an even more [...] [...] as noted by the Bad Astronomer, the State of New Mexico recently passed legislation declaring that Pluto is a planet, at least while passing through New Mexican skies. The State of California has debated an even more [...]

]]> By: bill http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-32297 bill Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:30:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-32297 A few minor points. First off, tomatoes are officially vegetables, although any good scientist would know that they're actually fruit. Therefore, if you'ld like to keep calling Pluto a planet, then I won't quibble. And by what authority are we allowed to declare what is or what isn't a planet? B612 may be an asteroid to us, but to the Little Prince it was HIS planet. A few minor points. First off, tomatoes are officially vegetables, although any good scientist would know that they’re actually fruit. Therefore, if you’ld like to keep calling Pluto a planet, then I won’t quibble. And by what authority are we allowed to declare what is or what isn’t a planet? B612 may be an asteroid to us, but to the Little Prince it was HIS planet.

]]> By: jenn.wiked.org » This Just In http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/comment-page-1/#comment-32296 jenn.wiked.org » This Just In Fri, 16 Mar 2007 05:16:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/03/08/new-mexico-to-pluto-youre-always-a-planet-to-us/#comment-32296 [...] In the state of New Mexico, Pluto is still a planet. [...] [...] In the state of New Mexico, Pluto is still a planet. [...]

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