| | Last time I checked, they were still debating the status of Pluto let alone more system objects....gee whiz, don't follow Astromony closely for a couple years and they change everything... |
| Astahost.com | Mar 20, 2010 |
QUOTE IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes 24-August-2006, Prague: The first half of the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly has just concluded. The results of the Resolution votes are outlined here. It is official: The 26th General Assembly for the International Astronomical Union was an astounding success! More than 2500 astronomers participated in six Symposia, 17 Joint Discussions, seven Special Sessions and four Special Sessions. New science results were vigorously discussed, new international collaborations were initiated, plans for future facilities put forward and much more. In addition to all the exciting astronomy discussed at the General Assembly, six IAU Resolutions were also passed at the Closing Ceremony of the General Assembly: 1.Resolution 1 for GA-XXVI : “Precession Theory and Definition of the Ecliptic” 2.Resolution 2 for GA-XXVI: “Supplement to the IAU 2000 Resolutions on reference systems” 3.Resolution 3 for GA-XXVI: “Re-definition of Barycentric Dynamical Time, TDB” 4.Resolution 4 for GA-XXVI: “Endorsement of the Washington Charter for Communicating Astronomy with the Public” 5.Resolution 5A: “Definition of ‘planet’ ” 6.Resolution 6A: “Definition of Pluto-class objects” The IAU members gathered at the 2006 General Assembly agreed that a “planet” is defined as a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (  has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and © has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. This means that the Solar System consists of eight “planets” Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. A new distinct class of objects called “dwarf planets” was also decided. It was agreed that “planets” and “dwarf planets” are two distinct classes of objects. The first members of the “dwarf planet” category are Ceres, Pluto and 2003 UB313 (temporary name). More “dwarf planets” are expected to be announced by the IAU in the coming months and years. Currently a dozen candidate “dwarf planets” are listed on IAU’s “dwarf planet” watchlist, which keeps changing as new objects are found and the physics of the existing candidates becomes better known. The “dwarf planet” Pluto is recognised as an important proto-type of a new class of trans-Neptunian objects. The IAU will set up a process to name these objects. Below are the planet definition Resolutions that were passed. Notes for editors A press conference about the Closing Ceremony of the General Assembly, including the results of the planet-definition vote, will be held at 18:00, in Meeting Room 3.3 of the Prague Congress Center. (It will NOT be possible for journalists to ring in to this conference: they must be there in person.) The panel for the press conference will be: Ron Ekers (outgoing IAU President) Catherine Cesarsky (incoming IAU President, Member of the Planet Definition Committee) Jan Palous (Chair of the National Organising Committee) Richard Binzel (Member of the Planet Definition Committee) Karel van der Hucht (incoming Secretary General) This press conference will conclude around 18:30 CEST. The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together distinguished astronomers from all nations of the world. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world’s largest professional body for astronomers. The IAU General Assembly is held every three years and is one of the largest and most diverse meetings on the astronomical community’s calendar. Contacts Following the vote, some of the members of the planet definition committee will be available for interviews (after the final vote): Richard Binzel Member of the Planet Definition Committee Prague Conference Center, Meeting Room 3.1 Tel: +420-261-177-075 Cell: +420-776-806-297 (during the General Assembly) Junichi Watanabe Member of the Planet Definition Committee Prague Conference Center, Meeting Room 3.3 Tel: +420-261-177-081 Cell: +420-776-806-265 (during the General Assembly) Iwan Williams President, IAU Division III Planetary Systems Sciences Prague Conference Center, Meeting Room 244 Tel: +420-261-177-064 Cell: +420-776-175-769 (during the General Assembly) Owen Gingerich Chair of the IAU Planet Definition Committee Tel: via the Press Room +420-261-177-075 Professor Ron Ekers IAU President Tel: via the Press Room +420-261-177-075 Catherine Cesarsky IAU President-Elect and member of the Planet Definition Committee Tel: via the Press Room +420-261-177-075 PIO contact Lars Lindberg Christensen IAU Press Officer IAU GA 2006 Press office, Meeting Room 3.2 Prague Congress Center Tel: +420-261-177-075/+420-261-222-130 Cellular: +49-173-3872-621 E-mail: lars@eso.org Links Programme for the Closing Ceremony: http://www.astronomy2006.com/second-sessio...ng-ceremony.php Live public webcast of the Closing Ceremony: http://astronomy2006.com/tv/ Live press webcast of the Closing Ceremony (press only, please do not distribute): http://www.astronomy2006.com/tv-press The IAU Web page: http://www.iau.org IAU News during the 2006 General Assembly: http://www.iau2006.org IAU General Assembly: http://www.astronomy2006.com Free registration for the media: http://www.astronomy2006.com/media-accreditation.php RESOLUTIONS Resolution 5A is the principal definition for the IAU usage of “planet” and related terms. Resolution 6A creates for IAU usage a new class of objects, for which Pluto is the prototype. The IAU will set up a process to name these objects. IAU Resolution: Definition of a “Planet” in the Solar System Contemporary observations are changing our understanding of planetary systems, and it is important that our nomenclature for objects reflect our current understanding. This applies, in particular, to the designation “planets”. The word “planet” originally described “wanderers” that were known only as moving lights in the sky. Recent discoveries lead us to create a new definition, which we can make using currently available scientific information. RESOLUTION 5A The IAU therefore resolves that “planets” and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way: (1) A “planet”1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, ( has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and © has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.(2) A “dwarf planet” is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, ( has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape2, © has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite. (3) All other objects3 except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “Small Solar-System Bodies”. IAU Resolution: Pluto RESOLUTION 6A The IAU further resolves: Pluto is a “dwarf planet” by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects.1 QUOTE Notes 1 The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 2 An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories. 3 These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies. Source: http://www.iau2006.org Your thoughts? xboxrulz
QUOTE(xboxrulz @ Aug 24 2006, 09:16 AM)  It's official, there are now 8 planets and 3 drawf planets Source: http://www.iau2006.org Your thoughts? xboxrulz Happy, Dumpy, and Sleepy?
lol ...but no, the 3 drawf planets are Ceres, Pluto, 2003 UB313.
xboxrulz QUOTE Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one. Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell -- a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings -- urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side. MORE HERE/SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/08/24/pluto.ap/index.html Update the textbooks! This is very interesting. Based on some new "laws" for classifying a planet as a planet, Pluto doesn't make the mark... actually, it is VERY off! What makes a planet a planet? This "rule" from the article defines a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." The part that classifies Pluto as, IMO, a useless hunk of ice floating in outer space is "has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." Since Pluto's orbit overlaps Neptune's, it isn't classified as a planet. What do you guys think about this? [N]F
Yeah, I saw this on the TV News too and I really found it interesting.. I myself on physics lessons where we had astronomy too was arguing with the teacher that I don't agree that Pluto is a 'real' planet and same with Ceres and the so called 2003 UB313.. I am glad that they, the Astronomers came to such a conclusion, I don't have anything against it.
Furthermore, I disagree that this isn't interesting information as said on the previous page, to know what is around us, if you like to live a monotonic life and only know how to use a computer and go to job, then it is alright, but to understand "everything" around us is really great, I mean physics, chemistry, astronomy and especially history - a lot of whom say that this is stupid  Well, of course you don't have to get superb deep into it, but the normal basics and a little bit more is good enough to be an intelligent guy.. I used to call art and music stupid, but knowing some basics and history of it, you can have interesting conversations and you don't really get lost among other when they say some kind of a word like: Gothic style Church. I think I got a little of topic.I also think that there is life somewhere out there, but I don't think that I myself will see it, now it seems to impossible to reach the nearest star even if traveling by the speed of light and besides, the aliens can be little organisms and not as smart/intelligent as we, the humans..
WOAH. So wouldn't that mean every single textbook we've ever read in school is wrong?
I just did a presentation on Pluto for my school's science class. It feels sort of weird now though because I could have done nothing. 
I think it is a very strange thing to argue, I mean now theres talk of having 12 planets and then they say Pluto is not a planet and its all very confusing. Honestly I think does it really matter whether its called a planet or not, just as long as we can see what it looks like and still plan missions to these strange objects in outer space
and find out if theres life or not on them, who cares if theyre called planets or not!
There is a similar topic about this announcement, here is the link: http://www.astahost.com/page-2-t13069-s10.html
I am really "happy" that they made Pluto a drawf planet, it is more logical and I think it is the "right" way to call it. 
Yeah, same deal I talked about only a few days ago on the 12 planet thread. Their wasting their time on semantics defining what is a planet, and not finding out anything new!
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