POLL: How many Planets in our Solar System

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vogon13

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{ bump due to renewed relevance }<br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>
 
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kane007

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My vote, or is that opinion, is for the 12 (and later more) planet solar system! <br /><br />Hah, I'm a planet and I want more!
 
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acsindg

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Planets clear out their elliptical orbits around their star. They will be spherical in shape and with a magnetic field. If the magnetic field is offset from the true north-south pole line then the planets will rotate. If for some reason a planet breaks out of orbit it will freewheel across space being attracted to any other star it can see. A sort of planetar I suppose.
 
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vidar

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I think we have discovered 3 Terrestrial planets, 3 Jovian planets and 8 dwarf planets. I know that is a rather different view than the public one. The reason is rather simple though. I consider all these dwarf planets, except that I think there should be a 3000 km diameter limit.<br />http://www.solarviews.com/browse/misc/plntmoon.jpg <br />I do not find much sense in the IAU conditions ‘clearing the path’ and ‘not being an object’.<br />
 
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vidar

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I think we have discovered 3 Terrestrial planets, 3 Jovian planets and 7 dwarf planets. I know that is a rather different view than the public one. The reason is rather simple though. I consider all these dwarf planets, except that I think there should be a 3000 km diameter limit. (If not, theres 9 dwarfs.)<br />http://www.solarviews.com/browse/misc/plntmoon.jpg <br /><br />I do not find much sense in the IAU conditions ‘clearing the path’ and ‘not being an object’.<br />
 
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Kalstang

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Would love to answer poll but it doesn't have what I consider planets. Something some people should remember is that just because its considerd a "Dwarf" does not automatically take it out of the "Planet" status. Hence the reason that Pluto is considerd a "Dwarf PLANET" Its still a plenet...just not a big one....... Is a little person who is still called a dwarf not considered a human still?<br /><br />Note: For those that are politically correct: I am not politically correct. If you do not like the word Dwarf applied to you oh well. It was not in anyway shape or form meant to be derogotory, and I will not be held responsible for how you choose to take it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ffff00"><p><font color="#3366ff">I have an answer for everything...you may not like the answer or it may not satisfy your curiosity..but it will still be an answer.</font> <br /><font color="#ff0000">"Imagination is more important then Knowledge" ~Albert Einstien~</font> <br /><font color="#cc99ff">Guns dont kill people. People kill people</font>.</p></font><p><font color="#ff6600">Solar System</font></p> </div>
 
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gammarayburst

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Why does it matter? In a million years they could find 6 more new planets. So would the new planets been slowly created by our sun or "always been here"? How would anyone know if they were created or, if they have always been here and those in the future just happened to find them?<br /><br />Stars create the matter so in time new planets will be found, so what, no big deal.
 
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Kalstang

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Yeah in a million years there very well good be....but we're talking about right NOW. BIG BIG difference. Even if we discovered a new planet in one hundred years it will still be considered as "haveing been there" since it takes millions of years for a planet to form. Its not something that exactly happens over night ya know <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ffff00"><p><font color="#3366ff">I have an answer for everything...you may not like the answer or it may not satisfy your curiosity..but it will still be an answer.</font> <br /><font color="#ff0000">"Imagination is more important then Knowledge" ~Albert Einstien~</font> <br /><font color="#cc99ff">Guns dont kill people. People kill people</font>.</p></font><p><font color="#ff6600">Solar System</font></p> </div>
 
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plutoid

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This recently appeared in the Washington Post (and other places) and it's rather amusing and sort of relevant to this thread...<br /><br /><b>Twinkle, Twinkle, Planetoid</b><br /><br />Twinkle, twinkle, planetoid<br />Out so far in inky void<br />Rocky core with ice encloaked<br />Your planethood has been revoked<br />The I.A.U. struck a blow<br />To the cosmic status quo<br />They're not quite sure of your fate<br />But it leaves us only eight<br />Was it that your orbit's tilted<br />Why you were so rudely jilted?<br />Could it be your little tryst<br />With Neptune that's got them pissed?<br />Despite the fact you have a moon<br />Your reputation they impugn.<br />But take some comfort in their crime--<br />They'll all be dead in one year's time!*<br />Twinkle, twinkle, far from sun<br />So long for now, it's been fun<br /><br />*One year on Pluto is 248 Earth years <br /><br />Here are the links:<br /><br />Washington Post<br /><br />Daily Nooz
 
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alokmohan

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Who is the author?Well written.But we should not have plutomania.
 
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telfrow

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If it appeared in <i>The Washington Post</i>, please provide a link.<br /><br />Thanks. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>
 
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raghara2

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You forgot 9, but titan is a planet.<br /><br />BTW why is that big deal if a one chunk of rock is called a planet or not. It's not exactly honorable mention. You could add a category important chunks of rock, and add into it Xena.
 
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vastbluesky92

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why is that big deal if a one chunk of rock is called a planet or not. -ragharA2 <br /><br />I completely agree with you. In the most recent issue of Discover the article about Pluto was entitled "The Death of a Planet." The article itself was fine, but the title was an attention grabber I wouldn't have thought that they would use.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>--____________________________________________--</p><p><font size="1"> Don't be too hard on me...I'm only in PHY 1010 ;)</font></p><p> </p><p><font color="#339966">         The following goes without saying:</font> </p> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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Titan is a sattelite.<br />Xena is not Xena anymore, ir is Eris, a dwarf planet.<br />Better than a chunk o' rock. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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raghara2

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People are expecting well behaved system similar to this, even if this system isn't well behaved. When things are different, they have problems like: hot jupiters are responsible for creation of a rock type of planets on orbits external to them, planets that are orbiting other planet, or planets that could switch the orbit.
 
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superluminal

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Re all...<br />I read entire post before I respond.<br /><br />All excellent post indeed.<br /><br />On our solar system .... <br /><br />What single cataclysmic event could have resulted in the present status of our known solar system?<br /><br />Eons ago, could there have been the passing of a super dense Nemesis object, that once disrupted the early solar system?<br /><br />A former collision with a inward slung Nemesis by Jupiter, with a past Jupiter moon that now makes up the asteroid belt. .<br /><br />Planet Venus (with it's slow retrograde rotation ), is a veritable key of wondering, about what that cataclysmic past event would have been like.<br /><br />Perhaps then,<br /><br /> That Planet Mercury was once a moon that orbited around a eastward rotating Venus.<br /><br />Perhaps, there was a super dense Nemesis object ( or group of objects ) that once fell inward, closely behind the Venus eastward revolve around the Sun and between it's then Mercury moon. <br /> <br />A polar reverse and a huge amount of the dust and trailing matter would have caused the present hellish Venusian atmosphere.<br /><br />The Nemesis then falls faster, further inward closely behind the sun, then ejected furiously into an orbit toward Uranus and Neptune in the outer solar system.<br /><br />Perhaps captured by Uranus and Neptune into the present Pluto, Charon, Nix, Hydra, ( Thimbus, a small moon discovered in 2187 ) orbit that these worlds now occupy.<br /><br />My Novel <br /><br />The Ancient Nemesis by E W <br /><br />Hopefully out by Christmas 06 <br /><br /><br /> The Ancient Nemesis <br /><br />Whether you call them Gas giants, Planets or Planetoids, they're all heavenly wandering bodies to me.<br /><br /><br />I think that, there are a lot more KBO's to be discovered in the future and that a refined planet distinction term, is entirely in order t <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Columbia and Challenger </font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="3" color="#3366ff">Starships of Heroes</font></strong></p> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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Pluto a teachable moment<br /> link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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Kalstang

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<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The appeals surfaced almost as soon as the International Astronomical Union voted in August to demote Pluto. The professional astronomers' group determined that a planet must orbit the sun and be large enough to assume a nearly round shape, as well as "clear the neighborhood around its orbit."<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />From your link MeteorWayne. <br /><br />I dont know about that defination really. It says to "clear the neighborhood around its orbit." Be large enough to assume a nearly round shape. Well Pluto is round. And if you think about it none of the other planets have cleared thier neighborhood. If this were so then Earth wouldnt have a moon. Nor any of the other planets. To me haveing something orbit around something does not mean "clearing the neighborhood". The moon cuts across Earths orbit all the time. Even more so with the other planets that harbor many moons. So going by that defination they have just made things worse. Unless i'm missing something? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#ffff00"><p><font color="#3366ff">I have an answer for everything...you may not like the answer or it may not satisfy your curiosity..but it will still be an answer.</font> <br /><font color="#ff0000">"Imagination is more important then Knowledge" ~Albert Einstien~</font> <br /><font color="#cc99ff">Guns dont kill people. People kill people</font>.</p></font><p><font color="#ff6600">Solar System</font></p> </div>
 
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toothferry

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<font color="yellow"> "BTW why is that big deal if a one chunk of rock is called a planet or not. It's not exactly honorable mention. You could add a category important chunks of rock, and add into it Xena." </font><br /><br />We its a "big deal" to be an important enough Rock to be called a Planet... Folks would rather have about a dozen planets or less in our solar system rather than possibly hundreds that we cant remember. <br /><br />Pluto was considered a planet for a long while, and now most everyone know's that Rock... "It's the last planet, really cold way out there, and its a lot smaller than the rest of the outter planets" and now its like .. "oh noooo, its not a planet actually, its only a round rock, but I know where it is, and I can imagine what its like way out there.. for poor Pluto, only a rock" <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <br /><br />We all have a little bit of a special affinity for it... because it was called a planet. Millions and Millions of people "know" Pluto. And NASA has probe heading towards it right now, because it was the only planet not yet explored. ..And I'm glad it heading out there.. even though we now know that its really only large round rock.<br /><br />But had it just been labeled Asteroid #231696" or whatever, then perhaps we wouldn't even realize its out there. And so its only important in that we want the word "Planet" to actually have a real meaning, rather than something other than a title we bestow on certain objects for a reason we can't really explain.<br /><br />..kind of like discovering Hawaii and saying, "new continent discovered". <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br />
 
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Leovinus

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I think there are only 4 planets. Mercury - Mars are too small to count. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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docm

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In case you hadn't noticed the IAU and its decision are a source of ridicule and their credibility is in doubt over this issue, especially among astronomers whose votes were disenfranchised. That's a lot.<br /><br />To show how screwed up this decision was; <br /><br />Owen Gingerich, chair of the IAU's planet definition committee, was denied his vote. The anti-Pluto crowd, mainly the planetary dynamicists, waited until he and 90% of the members attending had left Prague before calling another vote. <br /><br />Gingerich, an American, had helped author the IAU's original 12 planet definition in conjunction with the planetaty geologists. Where they went wrong was in not 'consulting' with the planetary dynamicists as much as the latter wanted.<br /><br />Soooo....the chair & most of the geologists leave and the planetary dynamicists stage a palace revolt. How petty <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />Of the total IAU membership, about 10,000, only 4% was able to vote.<br /><br />This decision was not made with anything close to a consensus, much less a quorum, of the IAU membership at Prague. It's also the reason why Gingerich and many, many other astronomers are pushing for E-voting on such major matters of policy.<br /><br />You can bet on a strong reversal attempt at the next IAU meeting. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>
 
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MeteorWayne

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Pluto is #134340<br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>
 
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vidar

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Leovinus:<br />I think there are only 4 planets. Mercury - Mars are too small to count. <br />----------------------------------------------<br /><br />... and which are the 4?<br /><br />
 
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