[meteorite-list] OT: HOW MANY PLANETS?

From: Dawn & Gerald Flaherty <grf2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Aug 3 22:14:39 2005
Message-ID: <03a101c5989a$3d796a80$6502a8c0_at_GerryLaptop>

"What if nobody wants to live on the 13th planet...."
Who write your stand up stuff? Man you're a riot!!!!!!!!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sterling K. Webb" <kelly_at_bhil.com>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 6:13 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] OT: HOW MANY PLANETS?


> Hi, All,
>
>
> Brian Marsden, in the article below:
> <http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050802_planet_definition.html>
>
> is quoted as saying if the Stern definition of a planet
> were used (everything spherical that goes 'round its star
> and doesn't fusion inside), we'd have 24 planets.
> Marsden himself says, "The only sensible solution is
> to accept that the solar system contains the eight planets
> known a century or so ago," Marsden said via email, "and
> to add new members only if they are larger than, say, Mars
> -- or maybe even the Earth."
> Of course, this way, Marsden, who's is charge of Minor
> Planets gets to keep'em and add Pluto to his collection.
> Stern says of the Kuiper Belt, "It's really a
> revolution," says Alan Stern of the Southwest Research
> Institute. "We are finding out just how quaint our view of
> the solar system was."
> My definition (everything spherical and bigger than
> Ceres that goes around the sun), by excluding the four
> large minor planets, would give us 20 planets.
> As for students and degree of difficulty, what makes
> you think high school students learn ANYTHING anyway?
> Stern is on that IAU committee defining a planet, BTW.
>
> The IAU and astronomy generally have a dilemma,
> though. How can you say that the massive 2003UB313 is NOT
> a planet when the smaller Pluto IS?
> However, we've got time. It will be a while before we
> get out there and have to found the Chamber of Commerce
> and name the MacDonalds on SEDNA or QUOAOR... A little bar
> down by the spaceport, "The Inn of the 37 Planets," or
> call a subdivision "10th Planet Estates"! What if nobody
> wants to LIVE on the 13th Planet? A lot of old office
> buildings DON'T HAVE a 13th floor... 11, 12, 14, 15, 16...
>
>
>
> Sterling Webb
> ------------------------
>
>
>
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Received on Wed 03 Aug 2005 10:14:26 PM PDT