[meteorite-list] And the winner is-- PLUTOID!
From: Jerry <grf2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:35:12 -0400 Message-ID: <B11EB7663F654A83ABD73A6B5B3B8023_at_Notebook> OK. It will no doubt come as a great surprise to the Executive Committee of the IAU (henceforth referred to as "Executoids") Sterling, you never fail to charm your way into a most subtle form of humor while elucidating the nuts and bolts of a gritty, in this case, language dilemma. Jerry Flaherty ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sterling K. Webb" <sterling_k_webb at sbcglobal.net> To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 3:14 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] And the winner is-- PLUTOID! > Hi, All, > > First, what does the suffix "-oid" MEAN? > > http://dictionary.die.net/-oid > from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913): > "-oid \-oid\ [Gr. ?, fr. ? form, akin to ? to see, and E. wit: > cf.F. -o["i]de, L. -o["i]des.] > A suffix or combining form meaning like, resembling, in the > form of; as in anthropoid, asteroid, spheroid." > >>From http://www.answers.com/topic/oid-1 > > "1. Used as in mainstream slang English to indicate > a poor imitation, a counterfeit, or some otherwise slightly > bogus resemblance." > > and > > "-oid is a suffix much used in the sciences and mathematics > to indicate a 'similarity, not necessarily exact, to something else'. > According to the Oxford English Dictionary, -oid is derived > from the Latin suffix -oides taken from Greek and meaning > 'having the likeness of'." (This is a re-working of the Oxford > English Dictionary's definition by the Wikipedia.) > > As a result, while "Plutoid" is a possible term of definition, > the planet Pluto itself CANNOT be a "Plutoid"! The headline: > "Pluto Now Called a Plutoid" is a gross mis-understanding > of the meaning of the word. Not even the IAU says that. It > says Pluto is a prototype for a class of objects to be named > "Plutoids." They are named "Plutoids," not Pluto itself. > > The term "Plutoid" defines an inclusive class of objects that > superficially or fraudulently resemble Pluto but it excludes Pluto, > the object a resemblance to which defines the class itself. The > suffix indicates a similarity to something else. Pluto does not > "resemble" Pluto -- it IS Pluto. Stars are not asteroids, for > example, in case you need an example. > > Moreover, it not clear why objects that actually DO resemble > Pluto should be called by an "-oid" suffix. This problem arises > because an "-oid" class is composed of many essentially > dissimilar objects that share only their superficial appearance > to, or a single characteristic with, the out-of-class object for > which they are named. > > Or if that single defining characteristic is the essential > one, what is the defining characteristic of the Plutoids? Well, > there's one ONE characteristic: iot is merely that they are > "Out There"! (And round and sun-orbiting.) > > Resolution 6A (2006): "Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by > the above definition and is recognized as the prototype > of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects," or so > the IAU website says, assuming that all TNO's are "like" > Pluto. I guess they know a lot more about Pluto -- and > the other TNO's! -- than we do, don't they? > > They voted, by the way, to name that common class > "plutons" to the delight of geologists everywhere. That > name is still on the IAU website. > http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0601/ > > Is "Plutoid" intended as a substitute for "Pluton"? I > guess so. Plutino is already taken; sorry! "Plutonian" has > been around for decades, but neither the geologists nor the > Gods of the Underworld would be happy with that choice. > "Plutan" sounds funny. "Plutoan" sounds Polynesian. > > Somehow, I doubt the IAU was aware of the complexities > of an "-oid" class. I think they wanted to to lump the Outer > Solar System together into a single-class group and dump it, > get it out of planetary astronomy, to make it irrelevant and > unimportant, and to get it out of the way. > > Let's look at the rest of that definition: "Plutoids are > celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater > than that of Neptune..." This is what Space.com say is "the > official new definition," putting it in quotes. It is in fact > what IAU says in their own press release, proving that their > press officers are at least as incompetent as all other press > officers in the known Universe. > > OK. It will no doubt come as a great surprise to the Executive > Committee of the IAU (henceforth referred to as "Executoids") > that Pluto is NOT "in orbit around the sun at a distance greater > than that of Neptune" for 8% of its orbital period. This actually > does not matter as Pluto can't be a Plutoid at all as explained > above, but if it WAS a Plutoid, it would only BE one 92% of > the time, like a quantum virtual particle popping in and out. > > However, we can blame THIS mess on the Press, the IAU > included, because the actual qualifications for a "Plutoid" are > NOT those given in the news story! (As usual.) Fiurther > down, in the fine priont, here's what the IAU actually says: > > "..it was decided that, for naming purposes, any Solar System > body having (a) a semimajor axis greater than that of Neptune, > and (b) an absolute magnitude brighter than H = +1 magnitude > will be considered to be a plutoid, and be named by the WGPSN > and the CSBN. Name(s) proposed by the discovery team(s) will > be given deference. If further investigations show that the object > is not massive enough and does not qualify as a plutoid, it will > keep its name but change category." > http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0804/ > > The Devil is in the details, ALWAYS. Define things as you > want, it's the RULES that decide. With these rules, there will > NEVER be any other dwarf planets, no matter what (maybe). > > Why do I say that? Here's the deal. Mike Brown doesn't > get to be a planet-finder for finding the planet Eris, but he gets > two dwarf planets aznd a bag of marshmallows. Lowell > Observatory (Pluto's "owner") loses old Pluto's planethood, > but there will never be any other rivals called "planets." Christy, > the discoverer of half of a double planet gets nothing -- zip, > zilch, nada. > > It's that detail: a new candidate will have to have an absolute > magnitude (H) greater than +1.0. This purely arbitrary H = +1.0 > cutoff eliminates all the other candidates because that value is > set 'way too high. > > And they are all too distant for anyone to determine that they > are round! Of course, most of them are, but you won't be able > to prove it for another generation... or two... or five. > > This means that "Easterbunny" IS a dwarf planet > (H = -0.48) and a "Plutoid". Congratulations, Easterbunny! > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%28136472%29_2005_FY9 > > But the bigger, more massive and impressive "Santa" is > not (H = +0.17): > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%28136108%29_2003_EL61 > and neither is Sedna nor Ouaoar nor Orcus nor Ixion nor > Varuna nor (55565) 2002 AW197 nor (84522) 2002 TC302, > all larger than Ceres and all most likely round as a beach ball.. > because none of these eight (dwarf) planets have got the H! > > Heck! Ceres doesn't have the H! Clearly beach-ball-like, > its albedo is the same as the average TNO and its H is +3.36, > less than all the eight PLANETS listed above... It's just damn > lucky it was already discovered because it would never make > it past the IAU today. Why would they not set the "H limit" > at +3.36, as planetary evidence of a ROUND ice-rock world > would suggest? Well... > > You can get rid of a helluva lot of planets that way! (It's a > clever move...) It also reduces the number of dwarf planets > to four (of which only three are officially recognized), so > eventually all this planet furor will die down. They will have > gotten rid of Pluto and nobody is going to remember all that > stuff about laughing-stock "dwarf" planets. > > The committee is essentially gambling that all brightest > objects have been discovered and is getting ready to fold > their cards and let dwarf planets become a footnote, having > dumped Pluto, which was what they wanted to do all along. > > And I've decided to go along with their definition... > > Is this the time and place to point out that under the 2006 IAU > definition of "planet," there are ONLY TWO planets in the Solar > System? They are Mercury and Venus, of course. > > The 2006 IAU definition has three requirements for Planethood, > one of which is that planets have cleared their own orbit and the > neighborhood around their orbit of all other objects, at least > those big enough to notice. > > Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have all > permitted the continuing residence of a variety of rock balls, > ice balls, and other celestial trash very close to, actually > entwining with, their orbits, objects constantly flirting around > their respective barycenters like ants at a picnic, utterly failing > the strict requirements of Uruguayan Absolutism. These bodies > have NOT "cleared" their orbits. Those six bodies -- Earth, > Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune -- are all, by the > 2006 IAU definition, "dwarf planets." > > I know you're all familiar with the Dwarf Planet Jupiter and > the Dwarf Planet Saturn with those cute little dwarf planet rings, > and so forth. > > If you're going to have a written definition of "planet" with > precise physical characteristics enumerated, rather than continue > with the historical usages, then I, for one, will adhere to it AS > WRITTEN. > > There is a sense in which the use of the "-oid" suffix IS > appropriate. That is in the sense that the resemblance referred > to is inaccurate or inappropriate. Apes at a distance resemble > men ("anthropos"), hence anthropoid. A small solar system > body seen at a distance with the naked eye or small telescope > resembles a star ("aster"), hence asteroid (coined by Sir > William Herschel in 1801 when he looked at Ceres and saw > a point of light like a star). In other words, the "-oid" term > refers to resemblances based on ignorance. > > The IAU would seem to be the authority there. > > Now, I'm going to sit down and drink a toast to each and > every one of the Solar System's 23 Planets. > > > > Sterling K. Webb > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > PS: Oddly, Mike Brown seems to think "Santa" (2003 EL61) > will be counted as a "Plutoid" even it clearly is not bright enough > (at H = +0.17); the IAU specifically says the H = +1.0 limit > applies. I don't why he thinks that. He discusses the magnitude > limit, says he finds it strange. I don't think he's figured it out yet. > http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/2008/06/plutoid-fever.html > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <lebofsky at lpl.arizona.edu> > To: <cynapse at charter.net> > Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> > Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 3:10 PM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] And the winner is-- Plutoid! > > > Hi All: > > I will probably be going to the August meeting in Maryland, so it will be > interesting to see how this new terminology goes over. > > So everything round and icy (maybe) is a Plutoid, which means Pluto-like. > Since we don't know what Pluto is (at least what to define it as), this > really makes a whole lot of sense. NOT! > > I predict it will go over like a lead balloon. > > Larry L. > > The previous statements are the opinion of the author and may not reflect > the opinions of other scientists. > > > > On Wed, June 11, 2008 12:58 pm, Darren Garrison wrote: >> http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080611-plutoid-planets.html >> >> >> Pluto Now Called a Plutoid >> By Robert Roy Britt >> Senior Science Writer >> posted: 11 June 2008 >> 10:30 am ET >> >> >> Updated 2:00 p.m. ET >> >> >> Pluto's years-long identity crisis just got more complex today. >> >> >> The International Astronomical Union has decided on the term "plutoid" as >> a name for Pluto and other objects that just two years ago were redefined >> as "dwarf planets." >> >> The surprise decision is unlikely to stem ongoing controversy and >> confusion, astronomers say. >> >> Sidestepping concerns of many astronomers worldwide, the IAU's decision, >> at a meeting of its Executive Committee in Oslo, comes almost two years >> after it stripped Pluto of its planethood and introduced the term "dwarf >> planets" for Pluto and other small round objects that often travel highly >> elliptical paths around the sun in the far reaches of the solar system. >> >> "Most of the people in astronomy and planetary science community had no >> idea this was going to come out," said Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins >> University >> Applied Physics Laboratory. Weaver called the new definition "sort of >> outdated, outmoded, archaic." >> >> A meeting in August at the Applied Physics Laboratory is slated to debate >> the entire topic of defining planets. Meanwhile, other astronomers said >> the new definition needed more definition or that it might simply not be >> used. >> >> "This seems like an unattractive term and an unnecessary one to me," said >> David >> Morrison, an astronomer at NASA's Ames Research Center who, in 2006, said >> the IAU's actions on Pluto have created major rifts among astronomers. >> >> >> The new definition >> >> >> The name plutoid was proposed by the members of the IAU Committee on >> Small Body >> Nomenclature (CSBN), accepted by the Board of Division III and by the IAU >> Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), and approved by >> the IAU Executive Committee at its recent meeting in Oslo, according to a >> statement released today. >> >> Here's the official new definition: >> >> >> "Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance >> greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their >> self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a >> hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared >> the neighborhood around their orbit." >> >> In short: small round things beyond Neptune that orbit the sun and have >> lots of rocky neighbors. >> >> The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris, the IAU stated. The >> organization expects more plutoids will be found. >> >> "Rather than resistance to 'plutoid,' I think we'll just be hearing >> groans," said Stephen J. Kortenkamp, senior scientist at the Planetary >> Science Institute >> in Tucson. >> >> Controversy continues >> >> >> One IAU leader recognizes it is adding to an ongoing controversy. >> >> >> The IAU has been responsible for naming planetary bodies and their >> satellites since the early 1900s. Its decision in 2006 to demote Pluto >> was >> highly controversial, with some astronomers saying simply that they would >> not heed it and questioning the IAU's validity as a governing body. >> >> "The IAU is a democratic organization, thus open to comments and >> criticism of any kind," IAU General Secretary Karel A. van der Hucht told >> SPACE.com by email >> today. "Given the history of the issue, we will probably never reach a >> complete consensus." >> >> Van der Hucht said the new designation is not a further demotion for the >> once-favorite planet of grade-school children: "Pluto is now the >> prototype >> of a very interesting category of outer solar system bodies." >> >> IAU Division III President Edward L.G. Bowell of the Lowell Observatory >> said the ruling stems from unfinished business from the forging of a >> planet definition in 2006. Bowell said there is no agreed-upon way to >> define "dwarf planet" yet, so "officers of the IAU thought it would be a >> good idea to adopt alternative criteria that would at least allow those >> large bodies to be named as though they were dwarf planets." >> >> It remains to be seen whether astronomers will use the new term. >> >> >> "My guess is that no one is going to much use this term, though perhaps >> I'm >> wrong," said Caltech astronomer Mike Brown, who has led the discovery of >> several objects in the outer solar system, including Eris. "But I don't >> think that this will be because it is controversial, just not >> particularly >> necessary." >> >> Brown was unaware of the new definition until the IAU announced it today. >> >> >> "Back when the term 'pluton' was nixed they said they would come up with >> another one," Brown said. "So I guess they finally did." >> >> Reactions were not all negative, however. >> >> >> "It seems like a reasonable decision to me, and given the excitement >> generated by New Horizons [a NASA probe headed for Pluto], it's in >> everyone's interest to favor the largest Kuiper belt objects with their >> own categorical designation," said Gregory Laughlin, a University of >> California, Santa Cruz extrasolar planet >> researcher. >> >> "The only fly in the ointment that I can envision is if a plutoid larger, >> than, say, Mars is detected," Laughlin points out. "In that case, I think >> we'd see a big flare-up of the what-is-a-planet debate." >> >> More debate coming >> >> >> The dwarf planet Ceres (which used to be called an asteroid, and before >> that was called a planet!) is not a plutoid as it is located in the >> asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, according to the IAU. Current >> scientific knowledge lends credence to the belief that Ceres is the only >> object of its kind, the IAU stated. Therefore, a separate category of >> Ceres-like dwarf planets will not be >> proposed at this time, the reasoning goes. >> >> Weaver, the Johns Hopkins researcher, has helped organized a meeting, >> planned earlier this year for Aug. 14-16 at Johns Hopkins University >> Applied Physics >> Laboratory, that aims to bring astronomers of varying viewpoints together >> to discuss the controversy. >> >> "We're not trying to slam the IAU, it's just that we also don't want to >> lead people to the idea that there's a handful of people who decide where >> science should go," Weaver said today. The meeting is designed to >> "address >> this question in terms of a scientific conference." He said no votes will >> be taken at the meeting. Rather, it's a time to "sit back and take stock >> of everything we've learned in the past couple of decades." >> >> The term plutoid joins a host of other odd words -- plutinos, centaurs, >> cubewanos and EKOs -- that astronomers have conjured in recent years to >> define objects in the outer solar system, whose appearance seems to grow >> more complex every year. >> >> Kortenkamp wonders if "plutoid" isn't just one more confusing term in the >> cosmic lexicon. >> >> "So Pluto is a Kuiper belt object, a plutino (the unofficial but nearly >> universally accepted name for objects in the 2:3 resonance with Neptune), >> a dwarf planet, and now also a plutoid?" he said. "If the IAU is trying >> to >> make things more clear, I think it needs to try again. This is just >> another layer of confusion that will feed the "pluto is a planet" camp at >> the [Johns Hopkings] meeting." >> >> Kortenkamp also thinks the new defiinition leaves Ceres up in the air: >> "And this >> "-oid" classification doesn't apply to Ceres?" he asks. "Okay, so does >> that means we continue calling Ceres an ASTERoid?" >> >> Asked if Ceres remains a dwarf planet and is not an asteroid, Bowell, the >> IAU >> official, said: "I think so!" >> ______________________________________________ >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list >> >> > > > ______________________________________________ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list Received on Thu 12 Jun 2008 03:35:12 PM PDT |
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