2006-11-06 09:12:01 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The 3 new dwarf planets are "Planet X", nicknamed Xena, but now given a new permanent name, Eris (the largest Trans-Neptunian Object, discovered 2003), and two former planets, 1 Ceres (the largest asteroid, discovered 1801) and Pluto (the largest Kuiper Belt Object, discovered 1930).
Both Ceres and Pluto were hailed as planets on discovery, then felt to be disappointingly small. then realised to be only the first of many such objects in their region of the Solar System. then realised to have nothing especially remarkable about them as compared to other such objects, then getting discovered which might equally lay claim to be planets, if they remained as planets, and then were eventually downgraded and no longer regarded as planets: a process of gradual disillusionment, if you like.
Ceres has no moons, Eris has one (Dysnomia) and Pluto has three (Charon Nix and Hydra).
In Greek Mythology, Dysnomia (lawlessness) was the daughter of Eris (goddess of chaos), Pluto/Hades was the underworld and also the God of the underworld, Charon was the ferryman who took thesouls of the departed across the River Styx that led to the underworld, Hydra was the many-headed fabled monster that guarded the underworld, and Nyx was the Goddess of the Night.
2006-11-06 09:35:56 · answer #1 · answered by Not_many_people_know_this_but 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is old news. After much discussion they have instead deleted one planet, Pluto. But before they did that, there was some discussion of granting planet status to Ceres, Eris and Charon. Ceres is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was considered a planet when first discovered in 1801, but got demoted to asteroid around 1850. Charon is the large moon of Pluto. Eris is the newly discovered object that is larger than Pluto and orbiting out past Pluto. It was that discovery that prompted the IAU (International Astronomical Union) to officially define what is and is not a planet. Strangely enough, there never was an official definition before. It wasn't really needed before so many other borderline objects were known.
2006-11-06 09:20:16 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The ISA changed the category on Pluto, it is now a dwarf planet, but they discovered or confirmed discoveries of two of its moons,
Now we can get Racially Biased on planets, stinking dwarf planets hide under the bed and steal your socks. or somethin.
Heck with the scientists, I say its a Planet, so it is. I am the God of my universe, and you are the God of yours, if you want to keep Pluto as a planet, do it. If you want to belive that Earth is the center of the Universe and everything revolves around Earth, do it.
Freedom to make stuff up in our own minds is one thing the Goverment can never take away.
2006-11-06 09:29:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, actually, we decided that we should firmly define the word planet. So the new ones didn't make the cut. Neither did Pluto - so now we're down to 8.
2006-11-06 09:14:57 · answer #4 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i thought that they took out Pluto and added plantet X, so we still have 9 planets in the solar system
2006-11-06 09:24:15 · answer #5 · answered by mnayr22 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You heard wrong. They have upgraded several inter-solar system objects to be termed "dwarf planets" and downgraded one very high profile object (Pluto) to a "dwarf planet" status. That's it.
2006-11-06 09:15:48 · answer #6 · answered by Telesto 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, they removed one. Pluto is no longer considered a planet.
2006-11-06 09:16:59 · answer #7 · answered by Bigfoot 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋