NASA Confirms Tenth Planet

[HRH The KING 0]

NASA

 

AP

 

BBC

 

Wikipedia

Edited July 30, 2005 by HRH The KING

[Angela 1]

Cool, was reading Bill Brysons a histroy of nearly everything which I recommend and was thinking during his cosmology chapter that perhpopas pluto wasn't the planet calculated to have such a gravetational effect as it were too small, this might be good evidence for just saying 9 planets and 1 planetesimal.

[HRH The KING 0]

Well generally I just tend to believe that it's more inspiring to simply call them all "planets". I think the scientific specifically the astronomic community can be overly pedantic at times with fussing over classifications like "planetoids".

 

They are large, they are not comets or asteroids, they orbit the Sun in stable sole orbits. IMO they should be classed as planets. Some are so pedantic they even wish to "demote" Pluto from planet status even though it has a moon.

 

From what I've been reading, this is certainly a planet and with Sedna and Quaoar (two more so-called "planetoids") I generally regard our Solar System as having twelve planets now. It doesn't hurt anybody to call them planets.

 

The definition of what is considered a planet should be altered. It should include small rocky planets, gas and ice giants, and now small icy distant bodies too.

Edited July 30, 2005 by HRH The KING

[Angela 1]

but by that definitionorbital asteriods could also be defined as planets and that makes astonemy very awkward.

[HRH The KING 0]

but by that definitionorbital asteriods could also be defined as planets and that makes astonemy very awkward.

 

Not exactly because there are certain criteria which set a planet apart from an asteroid. Usually asteroids are part of a larger group which immediately makes them different to the characteristics of a planet. Also they can share the orbits of planets which again is not a feature of a "planet".

 

Occasionally one asteroid breaks free from a larger group and orbits the sun alone, caused usually by the gravity of another planet. In that case they simply become classed as solitary asteroids, unless of course they are captured by another planet and become moons, which is what happened with both Martian moons.

 

These new bodies being discovered beyond the solar system don't fall into that catagory. What I'm saying is that rather than calling them "planetesimals" or "planetoids", they may as well just call them planets. I think it's being overly pedantic not to do so.

 

That's just what I think anyway.

[Itchygomba69 0]

Oh No its Planet X From The Godzilla Movies ahhhhhHHHH!!!!!!

[Jim Phaserman 0]

9th Planet: Pluto. 10th Planet: Goofy.

[sea trooper 0]

We're finding more and more planets and we still haven't even gotten to Mars.

[HRH The KING 0]

I think this new planet should be called "Somnus".

 

Named after the Roman god of sleep, related to myths associated with dreams and night.

[Eratosthenes 0]

Wow, I agree with everything HRH has said...except perhaps his name choice for the newly discovered planet. :biggrin:

[MrPsychic 1]

It should be named after a Roman god, like all the other planets are. How about Fortuna, since it was fortunate we even found it.

[Eratosthenes 0]

Or "Tenth Substantial Rock from the Sun!"

 

Since it's around Pluto, would not "Socrates" be appropriate?

Edited July 31, 2005 by Eratosthenes

[HRH The KING 0]

Well I chose "Somnus" because the planet itself is distant and dark which for me brings up images of night, dreams and sleep. Sort of a mysterious eerieness about the planet.

 

Here is a list of Roman and Greek mythological names that I think the new name should be drawn from, just as the other planets were:

 

Wikipedia

Edited July 31, 2005 by HRH The KING

[APW 0]

I hadn't heard that the Int. Astronomical Union had given the new object "official" status yet as a planet,which is something (apparently) only they can do.

Some space scientists and astronomers on CNN,this morning said they doubted the IAU would give the object true planetary status.

Makes little difference to me.

If Pluto is called a planet,and this object is larger,then it's a planet,as far as I'm concerned.

As for a name.I'd like something of non-Greek or Roman origin.Maybe an African or Native American name?

[HRH The KING 0]

It turns out that this new planet actually has a moon.

 

Link

 

Since I suggested the name "Somnus" for the planet itself, I suggest the moon should be called "Nox" which in Roman mythology was Somnus' mother.

 

She was goddess of night.

 

It fits into the general nomenclature of the names of the solar system planets.

 

Mercury = Roman god of commerce.

Venus = Roman goddess of love.

Earth = Derived from the Roman god "Terra".

Mars = Roman god of war.

Jupiter = King of the Roman gods.

Saturn = Roman name for Greek god Cronus.

Uranus = Greek name for the Roman god of the sky.

Neptune = Roman god of the sea.

Pluto = Roman god of the Underworld.

 

and....Somnus = Roman god of sleep and dreams.

[Jack_Bauer 1]

I say we petition for Vulcan, just like we did for the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

[HRH The KING 0]

Nah