Comments on: 10th Planet Larger Than Pluto? http://www.bytefarmers.com/log/2005/08/03/10th-planet-larger-than-pluto/ Fini Alring's Glossy Tech Zine Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:45:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Fini Alring http://www.bytefarmers.com/log/2005/08/03/10th-planet-larger-than-pluto/comment-page-1/#comment-588 Fini Alring Wed, 10 Aug 2005 01:06:07 +0000 http://www.bytefarmers.com/log/2005/08/03/10th-planet-larger-than-pluto/#comment-588 Hi Bob, Thank you for the info. I was just talking about this today, what defines a planet.. My conclusion was much like yours: "A massive object in steady orbit around a sun. Preferbly spherical, but my guess is that all big things in orbit will eventually become round, like rocks are polished round through time in the ocean." Hi Bob, Thank you for the info. I was just talking about this today, what defines a planet.. My conclusion was much like yours: “A massive object in steady orbit around a sun. Preferbly spherical, but my guess is that all big things in orbit will eventually become round, like rocks are polished round through time in the ocean.”

]]> By: Bob Waters http://www.bytefarmers.com/log/2005/08/03/10th-planet-larger-than-pluto/comment-page-1/#comment-584 Bob Waters Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:49:54 +0000 http://www.bytefarmers.com/log/2005/08/03/10th-planet-larger-than-pluto/#comment-584 Actually, the object larger than Pluto is 2003 UB313, discovered the next day, and also hailed as the tenth planet. Unlike 2003 UB 313, however, 2003 EL 61- which appears to have about a third of Pluto's mass- has a moon. Don't feel bad. I confused the information about the two on my blog for a week before I noticed that the news stories used two different designations for "the tenth planet," and thought the information about 2003 EL 61 was later data about 2003 UB313! My own proposal for a definition of "planet:" "Any solar system object with enough mass to be forced into a roughly spherical shape by its own gravity, and orbiting no primary other than the Sun." Given the variation in size, physical characteristics, and orbit of the objects already recognized as planets, I think it's the only definition that makes sense- and if it leads to a huge number of new "planets' constantly being discovered, what are you gonna do? Actually, the object larger than Pluto is 2003 UB313, discovered the next day, and also hailed as the tenth planet.

Unlike 2003 UB 313, however, 2003 EL 61- which appears to have about a third of Pluto’s mass- has a moon.

Don’t feel bad. I confused the information about the two on my blog for a week before I noticed that the news stories used two different designations for “the tenth planet,” and thought the information about 2003 EL 61 was later data about 2003 UB313!

My own proposal for a definition of “planet:” “Any solar system object with enough mass to be forced into a roughly spherical shape by its own gravity, and orbiting no primary other than the Sun.” Given the variation in size, physical characteristics, and orbit of the objects already recognized as planets, I think it’s the only definition that makes sense- and if it leads to a huge number of new “planets’ constantly being discovered, what are you gonna do?

]]>