Re: Pluto loses status as a planet



On 25 Aug 2006 10:51:41 GMT, richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Richard Tobin)
wrote:

In article <1156444869.772068.23350@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Don't Be Evil <g626700-gg@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Which objects around the orbit of Pluto are not cleared?
Neptune

And of course Neptune hasn't cleared Pluto out of its orbit, so Neptune is
not a planet either. I suppose it must also be a dwarf planet.

At 8600x the mass of Pluto, I think Neptune is safe.

The problem with Pluto is that it' mass is 3,300x smaller than they
originally thought it was.

-- Kevin Heider

West Coast Swing Photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/kheider
.



Relevant Pages

  • Re: Plutos Last Gasp! Was: Re: Orbital dominance
    ... Pluto has a very eccentric orbit, ... least eccentric orbits in the Solar System are Neptune and Venus. ... is the dominant object ... is a planet. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Plutos Last Gasp! Was: Re: Orbital dominance
    ... that Pluto and Neptune are only related in the negative sense. ... with a vague term like "dominant ... is a planet. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Plutos Last Gasp! Was: Re: Orbital dominance
    ... Gene Ward Smith wrote: ... then Neptune is not a planet because it has ... out Pluto and vice versa is because they never get close. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Planet Definition revised
    ... I can see that Pluto would by this lose its right to being a planet due ... Pluto never gets closer to Neptune than about 20 AU. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Planet Definition Revisited
    ... not seem to be anything particularly special about Pluto that warrants ... making its mass the dividing line. ... That others may differ goes without saying. ... to be able to decide, in a timely fashion, whether something is a planet ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)