Here is the link from a few days ago, before yesterday's preliminary vote (which passed Xena, Charon, and Ceres as planets) at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in Prague. However, there is one more vote to go, on the 25th, for the new planets to pass and be called planets.
Incidentally, in the 1800s, Ceres was actually already being called a planet. But when it was later discovered that it was part of the Asteroid Belt, it was demoted to "asteroid." Ceres is bright enough in the sky to be seen with binoculars from Earth.
Basically the IAU is saying that any object in the solar system that is revolving about the Sun and is at least 500 miles in diameter can be called a planet. It also must be round. (Objects start becoming round because of their own gravity pull when they are around 250-500 miles in diameter. But the IAU wants the cutoff diameter to be 500 miles.
However, the problem with making Xena, Charon, and Ceres planets is that there are...
2006-08-17
19:25:22
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11 answers
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asked by
♣Tascalcoán♣
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