[meteorite-list] IAU SPEAKS OUT ON 2003 UB313 PLANET STATUS

From: Dawn & Gerald Flaherty <grf2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Aug 14 19:40:40 2005
Message-ID: <097d01c5a129$7ced1350$6502a8c0_at_GerryLaptop>

Thanks for keeping us apprised Sterling. Jerry Flaherty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sterling K. Webb" <kelly_at_bhil.com>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 12:51 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] IAU SPEAKS OUT ON 2003 UB313 PLANET STATUS


> Hi,
>
> The IAU has made an official announcement
> on the question of whether or not 2003 UB313
> IS or IS NOT a planet:
> <http://www.iau.org/IAU/FAQ/2003_UB313.html>
>
> Wise beaurocrats, they have decided NOT
> to decide FOR NOW.
>
> "The discovery of 2003 UB313 has precipitated
> the need for such a definition in order to decide
> whether 2003 UB313 is to be classified as a planet
> or not. Until then the object will not be given an
> official name by the IAU."
>
> Discover Brown's web site says:
>
> "We have recently discussed the status of
> the object and of the name with members of the
> IAU who decide such things. As far as we can
> determine several activities are taking place:
> A special committee of the International
> Astronomical Union (IAU)is trying to decide
> precisely what to classify this as.
> Another committee of the IAU which vets
> names for asteroids and Kuiper belt objects is
> mulling over the name that we suggested upon
> discovery.
> Yet another committee of the IAU which approves
> names for features on major planets and
> satellites has suggested that if the object
> is declared a major planet the naming falls
> strictly to them, and they have suggested that
> the name should continue the Greco-Roman
> tradition of the previous planets.
> We have a couple of interesting choices
> in mind in that case."
>
> All things in time...
>
>
> Sterling K. Webb
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 14 Aug 2005 07:40:00 PM PDT