POLL: How many Planets in our Solar System

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toothferry

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I was amazed at how little news coverage the discovery a 10th planet in our solar system intially received. Was that how little interested folks were when Pluto was discovered 78 years ago <img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" />. I certainly hope not. <br /><br />Well, it seems the coverage has been a little better Sunday. Anyhow, this poll aims at the heart of the definition of "planet", and where we should draw the line from astroid, rocky body and planet.<br /><br />And so folks, just how many planets are there in our solar system? <br /><span method="POST" action="/dopoll.php"></span>
 
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MBA_UIU

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I have seen articles that say this new discovery is both larger, and smaller, than Pluto, so which is it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#0000ff"><br /><br /> <br /><img id="268587ce-7170-4b41-a87b-8cd443f9351a" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/8/268587ce-7170-4b41-a87b-8cd443f9351a.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /><br /></font></strong></p> </div>
 
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silylene old

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good idea for a poll! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>
 
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lunatio_gordin

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there are TWO new objects, one larger and one smaller.
 
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ehs40

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this new "planet" has a moon which is where u hear smaller than pluto and the planet itself is 1&1/2-2 times the size of pluto which is where u hear larger than pluto
 
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centsworth_II

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Lunatio_Gordin is correct, the discovery of TWO separate objects was announced -- one smaller, one larger than Pluto. I don't know if it's possible at this point to know if either of them has moons.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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arconin

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Actually there was a new smaller object called " 2003 EL61 " which has a moon announced early in the day on Friday. Later in the day there was a second object announced called " 2003 UB313 " which is larger than Pluto and also has a moon and is being described as the tenth planet. <br /><br />Pluto is a KBO, we have 8 planets. It is time to create a new body description, not quite a planet but too orderly and/or massive to be an asteroid. In this vein we have three named objects ready to go into this classification and soon a fourth. <br /><br />This will give them special recognition but not quite elevate them to the status of a planet.
 
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larper

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The idea of calling something a planet only because of its size needs to be scrapped.<br /><br />I propose that we define "planet" as a body whose mass is enough that gravity causes it to have a spherical shape AND that it orbits the sun within some delta of the ecliptic, say 10 degrees. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>
 
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dragon04

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"AND that it orbits the sun within some delta of the ecliptic, say 10 degrees."<br /><br />What's the rationale behind that? If Earth were inclined 30 degrees to the ecliptic, would it still not be a planet? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>
 
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Philotas

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No, that`s wrong. Only the smaller object has a moon, they didn`t say anything about a moon circling around the new 'planet'.<br />--<br />There are 13 planets in our Solar System in my opinion.<br /><br />All objects that are big enough to be spherical are planets. Now, see Ceres close-up and tell me it doesn`t look like a planet.<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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MBA_UIU

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sizing it up<br /><br /><br />Shortened link. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#0000ff"><br /><br /> <br /><img id="268587ce-7170-4b41-a87b-8cd443f9351a" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/8/268587ce-7170-4b41-a87b-8cd443f9351a.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /><br /></font></strong></p> </div>
 
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Grok

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I'm going with 4. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> Those other things out there are gas balls and Pluto is too small. hehe Just thought I'd throw a wrench in the works.
 
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arconin

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and see....I was keeping a good handle of the developments and I even made a mistake...bleh
 
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toothferry

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..., only 4, LOL.. I never thought of the gas giants as too big but come to think of it maybe they are underdeveloped stars... too difficult to land spacecraft on <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /><br />silylene, thanks.. I've been trying to come up with a tread that folks will post into. <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> I finally voted myself after becaming convinced there were only 8 ...that is until Grok posted.
 
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ehs40

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i agree we will find more because we stilll have a great distance between this planet and the oort cloud
 
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Grok

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Hey, I had to take my thinking cap off to come up with that, but I think I stumbled onto something. All those failed stars out there should not be counted. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />
 
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ather

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We have 9, maybe 10. We need a size minimum and distance maximum to determine anymore. Sedna would eb a Planetessimal. or planetid or Planlet or such.
 
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eggsaladinspace

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Eight. If we keep counting new KBO's as planets, it would get out of hand within the next few decades. In that case, we should not consider Pluto a planet either, just to keep things simple
 
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tempel1

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Dear friends <br />Go here please:<br />http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-release-details.cfm?newsID=117 <br />” The spacecraft's VELOCITY RELATIVE TO THE SUN is at about 26 kilometers per second (about 59,250 miles per hour). Cassini is now more than 9 million kilometers (almost 6 million miles) from Earth”. <br /><br />Since our probe is launched from the earth, it has already a velocity of 65,000 miles per hour (earth's velocity). <br /><br />Why have NASA engineers steered Cassini on this trajectory? <br /> http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=h_cassini_trajectory_02.gif&cap=The <br /><br />Instead of increasing Cassini's velocity they have slowed down it at 59,250 miles per hour. <br /><br />NASA engineers think the earth is the center of our solar system and don't consider earth's velocity. <br /><br />In this wrong way Cassini has travelled for 2 200 000 000 miles to meet Saturn. <br /><br />Cassini would have been able to fly along a straight line travelling for less than 1 000 000 000 miles. <br /><br />65,000 miles per hour (earth velocity) + 36,000 miles per hour (spacecraft's velocity) = 101,000 miles per hour <br /><br />1 000 000 000 miles : 365 days : 24 hours : 101,000 miles per hour = 1.13 years <br /><br />If NASA engineers considered the earth's velocity, Cassini could meet Saturn in one year! <br />
 
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hurricane4911

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I'm not buying Pluto either.<br /><br />We will get better detail imaging on extra-solar planets. If we find other systems with gas giants outside of inner rocky planets, then I say toss any rocky body outside the gas giants and call it a KBO.<br /><br />
 
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joshbe

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I think technically, all the asteroids, are really what everybody else calls them. Minor planets.
 
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josh1943

Guest
i said 10,i would use plutos mass as the smallest allowed to be called a planet and everything smaller thats still a sphere called something else(minor planet) as long as it isnt orbiting some other larger object. after all what happens if a mars size object is found out there
 
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