Comments on THE CREATIVE LEGACY: Pluto is dead

Sriraman, You're welcome, and thank you for t...

2009-07-03T22:13:19.271+05:30

Sriraman,

You're welcome, and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. You will see that throughout the entries, I post links to writings and podcasts by astronomers dissenting with the IAU position. I especially recommend listening to the audio transcripts of the Great Planet Debate, held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in August 2008, a conference I had the opportunity to attend. The link is here: http://gpd.jhuapl.edu/ . You can also subscribe to email alerts on the New Horizons mission, written by Dr. Stern, who continues to refer to Pluto as the ninth planet.

As for websites stating that "Pluto is not a planet," it's not so much a matter of their being "wrong" as of their not telling the whole story. The statement that Pluto isn't a planet is one interpretation in an ongoing debate, not a fact like "the planets revolve around the sun." Presenting only one view as if it were fact when it is not is, in my view, disingenuous, not by you, but by those who create these websites. That is why I frequently comment on them and present the other side.

Laurel, Thanks for your comments. I read many arti...

2009-07-03T12:47:31.439+05:30

Laurel,
Thanks for your comments. I read many articles regarding Pluto including NASA official website. I also visited your link http://laurele.livejournal.com to learn more on Pluto.First of all, I really appreciate you for that article.Many website confirms that "Pluto is no more a planet". Kindly let me know if am wrong. I know this topic will end up with debate.

Planet Pluto is NOT dead, in spite of Mike Brown&#...

2009-07-03T01:19:13.611+05:30

Planet Pluto is NOT dead, in spite of Mike Brown's broken record rhetoric. Only four percent of the IAU voted on the controversial demotion, and most are not planetary scientists. Their decision was immediately opposed in a formal petition by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto. You can find a copy of their petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/planetprotest/

One reason the IAU definition makes no sense is it says dwarf planets are not planets at all! That is like saying a grizzly bear is not a bear, and it is inconsistent with the use of the term “dwarf” in astronomy, where dwarf stars are still stars, and dwarf galaxies are still galaxies. Also, the IAU definition classifies objects solely by where they are while ignoring what they are. If Earth were in Pluto’s orbit, according to the IAU definition, it would not be a planet either. A definition that takes the same object and makes it a planet in one location and not a planet in another is essentially useless. Pluto is a planet because it is spherical, meaning it is large enough to be pulled into a round shape by its own gravity--a state known as hydrostatic equilibrium and characteristic of planets, not of shapeless asteroids held together by chemical bonds. These reasons are why many astronomers, lay people, and educators are either ignoring the demotion entirely or working to get it overturned. I am a writer and amateur astronomer and proud to be one of these people. You can read more about why Pluto is a planet and worldwide efforts to overturn the demotion on my Pluto Blog at http://laurele.livejournal.com