I'm beginning to think we really don't know squat about much of anything. I think we just keep making things up. doh!
2007-01-06 02:15:35 · 12 answers · asked by Speedoguy 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The astromony genuses recently dropped Pluto as a planet.
2007-01-06 02:22:11 · update #1
actually there r 10 planets right now.pluto was called as a dwarf planet i.e. was not considered as a proper planet.but now,the scientists from nasa have finally declared that pluto is a planet.
did u know that a new planet has also been discovered on july 2005?its name is eris.it is 97 AU away from sun.
1 AU = mean distance between earth and sun
2007-01-06 04:52:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Based on the definition of the word "planet" as it stands at this moment, then we know of 8 planets in our solar system. At times, there were objects that were known as planets for a while, then ""demoted" to other categories (minor planets a.k.a asteroids, dwarf planets a.k.a. Trans-Neptunian Objects).
At present, we know of 3 dwarf planets, millions of minor planets and a large number of comets.
The definition of "planet" has changed over time. Could it change again? Probably.
Some people who work on theories of stellar evolution sometimes consider the solar system as having only 4 real planets (the gas giants) as the rest is mere rift-raft that doesn't have any influence on the long-term evolution of the system.
2007-01-06 10:27:35 · answer #2 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pluto was stripped of planet status and is now considered a "dwarf planet". It failed to mean the definition of a planet because it has not cleared the neighborhood of other planets. At certain points of its orbit, it intersects Neptune's orbit, which has a stable orbit.
2007-01-06 10:31:26 · answer #3 · answered by Jam_Til_Impact 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, Raymond, we know of 44 dwarf planets. There are lots of articles about this, but the one on the National Geographic website is a great one to sum it all up:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html
Cave
2007-01-06 10:33:30 · answer #4 · answered by caveman 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
well, pluto is not a planet cuz ts a ball of ice, if it were closer to the sun, it would melt, how could you call an ice cube a planet so there are 8...but dont forget planet X
2007-01-06 10:31:10 · answer #5 · answered by monkeyinaplane 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We did make up the definition of what we call planets. There is not any inherent "planethood" that is unassociated with our nomenclature. It was a change in classification. We did not make any grand discoveries about Pluto.
On a personal note, I don't know why anyone cares what we call this distant chunk of ice.
2007-01-06 10:24:08 · answer #6 · answered by Biznachos 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep. It's kinda sad. Poor little Pluto. The red-headed step-child.
Polly
2007-01-06 10:21:33 · answer #7 · answered by Polly 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pluto is a big Asteroid. But they used to teach that the world is flat.
2007-01-06 10:25:59 · answer #8 · answered by oldmanwitastick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no there are 9.
1. mercury, 2. venus, 3. earth, 4. mars, 5. jupiter, 6. saturn, 7. uranus, 8. neptune, 9. pluto
2007-01-06 10:20:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Remember.....Astronomers are nothing but a bunch of game playing mensa nerds who cant stand to lose. So they keep changing the rules of the game when they figure out they were wrong
2007-01-06 10:38:41 · answer #10 · answered by Tommiecat 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋