Did we really have no definition for a planet before this?

Question

Astronomers have drawn up a new way to define the word planet. This would mean adding three new planets to the Solar System, boosting the current tally of nine to 12.
are you agreed with them /??????

Answer 1

No, we really did have no definition for the word planet.

The word actually means "wanderer" and refers to the fact that planets - being closer and in orbit with us around the sun - follow wandering paths across the sky, unlike the distant fixed stars.

There was little need to formally define planets untile recently. The large object orbiting the sun were fairly unambiguosly different from smaller objects like asteroids and comets.

But better telescopes have revealed a myriad of objects orbiting the Sun that have most of the characteristics of what we conventionally consider planets, and some of which have more. This is especially true of Pluto which is smaller and in a more erratic orbit than some asteroids.

The new definition is a bit of a cop out. It avoids demoting Pluto by broadening the term planet, but avoids introducing hundreds of new planets by creating the term Pluton.

However, we will undoubtedly see more than the 12 planets and Plutons proposed as observations find more and more large Solar orbiting bodies.

Answer 2

Well, the definition for a planet before was something that orbits the sun. This was very innacurate because there are many things esp. asteroids which orbit the sun.

I think the new definition suggests that they have to be approximately spherical by virtue of their own gravity, which seems like a good idea.

I agree that we should include the plutons in the planets. I am happy to live in an age when they are to be included.

Of course, My Very Easy Method, Just Speeds Up Naming Planets, will have to be altered.

Answer 3

the first defination is dat anything dat revolves rd the sun is a planet. however tons of asteriods and space junk revolves round the sun. hence a new defination is needed

Answer 4

I'm not sure that I agree with all their choices. Wouldn't their definition include Luna and several moons of Jupiter and Saturn, too?

Answer 5

Sounds fair to me, at least things are much clearer now in space where things are so remote and far that it has got nothing to do with me and vice versa.