Pluto the underdog

Café
#1

@Scott_Sauyet said elsewhere:

Abso-*******-lutely. And while we’re at it, Charon should be up-graded.

  • If it’s oblate or otherwise near-spherical

  • Has largely cleared its orbital path (regardless of its orbital shape or plane)

  • Is a satellite of its host star

then it’s a planet, dammit.

And really, if “they” are gonna get so picky, Earth isn’t a “true planet” either. The Earth–Moon size/mass ratios are so high, it’s practically a binary system, especially compared to all known planet–moon and exoplanet–exomoon ratios. Together they cleared our orbital path, not Earth alone.

<sigh/>

Irreverent footnote, channeling Douglas Adams:

According to the Department of Planetary Pedantry, Earth and Moon technically qualify as a gravitationally bound, co-dominant pair. This reclassification would retroactively demote Earth to “primary body of a binary system,” which, while accurate, is unlikely to fit on classroom posters or NASA merch. And surely, If the IAU ever admits the Earth–Moon system is binary, expect a sudden surge in Moon citizenship applications.

I, for one, welcome it. :nerd_face:

The reclassification of Earth as part of a binary system will, of course, be hotly debated at the 42nd Interplanetary Congress (next year), assuming no one invites the Vogons who will inevitably ruin everything with endless poetry claiming it’s just paperwork.

1 Like
#2

I’m a fan of this argument:

tl;dr:

  • as far as Planetary scientists are concerned, Pluto is a planet, and they completely ignore the IAU’s classification
  • the IAU’s attempt to do science by voting was a deeply embarrasing debasement of science