Re: Planet Definition Revisited

Arbitrary? Not really. There is nothing arbitrary about the mass of Pluto.
Only the choice is arbitrary, and even then, there is method to my madness.
It would serve to define an aesthetically pleasing Solar System (isn't
beauty important to all of us, subjective as it may be), and also be useful
in classifying unseen bodies in other stellar systems as instruments become
more advanced.

RJ


"Brian Tung" <brian@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ec5s6h$6a6$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Richard Jarnagin wrote:
Planet definition -- Just use mass with Pluto as the standard. Throw in
the
barycenter stipulation to define satellites. Simple?

Simple yet arbitrary. Of course, I also feel that way about the
proposed IAU definition, except that that one is a bit less simple, and
also less arbitrary.

--
Brian Tung <brian@xxxxxxx>
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