[meteorite-list] Devil's advocate

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Aug 22 21:49:37 2006
Message-ID: <0a5c01c6c656$5400bf20$807cd745_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi,

    Compared to Jupiter, the WHOLE solar system
is nothing but debris. Why not ONE planet? Easy
definition, short list to memorize...

Sterling K. Webb
---------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse_at_charter.net>
To: "Rob McCafferty" <rob_mccafferty_at_yahoo.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Devil's advocate


On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:43:31 -0700 (PDT), you wrote:

>If Pluto crosses the orbit of Neptune (which it does)
>then one has to ask if Neptune is a planet since it
>hasn't cleared its orbit of debris. Surely Pluto
>counts as pretty significant debris if we're stll
>asking whether it's a planet or not!?

Neptune mass: 1.0247e26 kg
Pluto mass: 1.27e22 kg

So to 2 significant figures (if I'm doing my math right) Neptune is 8000
times
the mass of Pluto-- or Pluto is around .0125 percent as massive as Saturn.
So,
in comparison, for a 180 pound person, that amount of "mass" would be around
10
grams, or a handful of hair and a couple of toenail clippings. I wouldn't
call
that "significant" debris.
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Received on Tue 22 Aug 2006 09:49:10 PM PDT