I know two bodies orbiting each other are considered planet + moon if the center of gravity is inside one of the objects, which becomes the planet. However, isn't this definition rather arbitrary? Is there a logical reason for saying the center of gravity has to be inside one of the orbiting bodies, or were astronomers saying, "Look, we have to draw the line somewhere, so this is where we'll draw it"?
Also, based on this definition, how close are the Earth and the Moon to being binary planets? Considering the size of the moon relative to the Earth, while the center of gravity may still be inside the Earth, it must be pretty close to the surface.
2006-09-25
13:21:21
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6 answers
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Anonymous