The IAU is on crack!

The IAU is on crack!

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Quanto042
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The IAU is on crack!

Post by Quanto042 »

Well, in the news today, the guys over in the International Astronomical Union announce a new definition to what it means to be a planet. With this announcement, we have gone from 9 planets to 12.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... ience/home

The Three new ones are
Ceres - An astroid which is round like a planet and is situated within the astroid belt.
2003 UB313 (Xena)

And finally
Charon

WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY CALLING CHARON A PLANET?????? ARE THEY ON CRACK!!! ITS A MOON!!!!!

On the bright side, Pluto is now officially a planet. But the fact that the IAU has call its moon Charon a planet is beyond me. Seriously, they have to be on crack. I mean, according to this definition, doesn't that make Io, Ganymede, Europa, Callisto, Titan, Triton, OUR MOON, and every other round orbiting body a planet???

Seriously the IAU needs to reevaluate their new standards here >_<
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Maelstrom
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Post by Maelstrom »

Another article I read explaind this. Apparently, Pluto and Charon are so similar in sizes that they orbit a common center that is actually not inside Pluto anymore. All the other planets like Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn have a common center of gravity inside the host planet. So its not Charon orbiting Pluto orbiting the Sun, its Charon and Pluto orbiting each other, and the pair orbiting the Sun. Confusing I know.
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FizWizz
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Post by FizWizz »

Meh, they're a planetary binary, there's no better or more accurate name that I can think of for it than that. The distinction would get a little fuzzy when drawing the line between planets and planetoids like Ceres and whatnot.
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Maelstrom
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Post by Maelstrom »

http://www.newscientistspace.com/articl ... ref=dn9762

Booyah. Offical definition of a planet.
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Quanto042
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Post by Quanto042 »

Well that clarifies things a lot better. I still don't like the idea of calling Charon a planet, but ur explainaition at least brings some sense into the issue.

Time to rewrite the text books!! :twisted:
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unpossible
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Post by unpossible »

Finally Zena gets some recognition. if only they'd admit that it's called that :o .
huzzah for scientific progress. millions will be made selling new astronomy bnook that have the 'correct' number of planets in :-)
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FizWizz
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Post by FizWizz »

unpossible wrote:Finally Zena gets some recognition. if only they'd admit that it's called that :o .
From the article:
Image
...the so-called ├óÔé¼┼ô10th planet,├óÔé¼┬Ø 2003 UB313, currently nicknamed Xena....
...As UB313 discoverer Dr. Brown said...
...Meanwhile, Dr. Brown's planet should receive its proper name at a later date. Persephone is the leading contender.
Which gives me the impression that "Xena" may be changed to "Persephone," of which I approve; Persephone is a much more becoming name than Xena for a planet.
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unpossible
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Post by unpossible »

FizWizz wrote: Which gives me the impression that "Xena" may be changed to "Persephone," of which I approve; Persephone is a much more becoming name than Xena for a planet.

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!111

:evil:
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Charlemagne
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Post by Charlemagne »

Persephone is at least an actual character from ancient Greek mythology. Xena is a product of Hollywood.
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Cabbage
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Post by Cabbage »

its becuase of the rhyme thingie...

well, it's not really but i've read some funny new ones ^^

lots of topical ones, but the best has to be "Many Very Eminent Minds Considered Jokers Since Unvailing New Planet Called Xena"

:D
bamb
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Post by bamb »

Perse = ass in finnish. In a rude way. Xena would be better. It would also kinda have roots in latin, ie xenophobic. (or is it greek?)
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KDR_11k
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Post by KDR_11k »

Oh, I'm sure the Greek just forgot to take a language into account that wouldn't develop until several millenia later...

Charon is Greek so Greek names are now permitted. The word you're searching for is Xenos, which is indeed Greek. Persephone is Greek, too.

Xena is apparently derived from Xenia, which is the female form of Xenos. The Latin equivalent is Barbara. Hey, let's call the planet Barbara!
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Maelstrom
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Post by Maelstrom »

Meh, Planet Bob is better.

(anyone seen the movie planet bob is from?)
Kixxe
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Post by Kixxe »

Titan, i think?
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AF
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Post by AF »

I can imagine hordes of children trying to say persephone
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BlackLiger
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Post by BlackLiger »

Maelstrom wrote:Meh, Planet Bob is better.

(anyone seen the movie planet bob is from?)
Titan AE (After Earth)
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Quanto042
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Post by Quanto042 »

AF wrote:I can imagine hordes of children trying to say persephone
Now that will be hilarious!
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CompWiz
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Post by CompWiz »

hahaha :twisted:
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Caydr
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Post by Caydr »

purse - f - on - knee
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