Jupiter outraged at n00bs becoming planets

[~*Sweet Ichifo*~]

Pretty soon there will be other life forms in our solar system found....


I think.


53 planets? There has to be at least a bug.

[Drace]

I vote for planet Drace! Where everyone gets free beer I stole from Razor's Pub!

[Moosetroop11]

I'm not a planet, I'm a black hole. I eat everything.

[Emerates]

I love how all of the current events discussed on this forum eventually go from relatively serious to complete and total lunacy...  *joins in*

There should also be defining shapes/characteristics for a space-type-object-thingy to be classified as a planet.  Such as landmarks, evidence of water, possibility to support life, orbit pattern, size, ruffly spherical shape, rotation on a set axis, gravitational pull, etc.  A GIANT ASTEROID would most likely not qualify as a planet, even if it does meet the size criteria, because an asteroid would most likely be unable to support life or have definite landmarks.  Sure, the moon has certain landmarks, but that's mainly because of external objects smashing into it.  The moon is NOT a planet because it cannot support life, it has no water, and etc.  It is just a big dirt clod orbiting the Earth.

To explain further, landmarks (as by my definition) would be generated by the planet itself.  Earth has clearly defined oceans, mountains, etc., caused by volcanic activity and pressure between different tectonic plates.  GIANT ASTEROIDS do not have tectonic plates, they are just giant floating rocks.  Even Mars has landmarks created by its own forces.  

So that is my scientific opinion.

[Revolution911]

alienz r nubs ne-way

[Linkizcool]

I'll name a wormhole.

"The USS White Dwarf is entering Wormhole Linkizcool on its way to Planet Charas"

[Bill3000]

Sorry to rain on your parade, guys, but the IAU requires all planets to be named after deities of creation.

There should also be defining shapes/characteristics for a space-type-object-thingy to be classified as a planet. Such as landmarks, evidence of water, possibility to support life, orbit pattern, size, ruffly spherical shape, rotation on a set axis, gravitational pull, etc. A GIANT ASTEROID would most likely not qualify as a planet, even if it does meet the size criteria, because an asteroid would most likely be unable to support life or have definite landmarks. Sure, the moon has certain landmarks, but that's mainly because of external objects smashing into it. The moon is NOT a planet because it cannot support life, it has no water, and etc. It is just a big dirt clod orbiting the Earth.

To explain further, landmarks (as by my definition) would be generated by the planet itself. Earth has clearly defined oceans, mountains, etc., caused by volcanic activity and pressure between different tectonic plates. GIANT ASTEROIDS do not have tectonic plates, they are just giant floating rocks. Even Mars has landmarks created by its own forces.

Okay, by your definition, a good amount of the classical planets ain't planets. :p Mercury is more of a hunk of rock than Luna is - Luna actually DOES have frozen water. Mercury *is* a huck of rock with no atmosphere and the like. Yet it's classified as a planet. Mars doesn't have tectonic plates, and by your definitions Titan and Europa are more likely to be classified as planets. As well, your definition isn't easily measurable. We havn't visited Pluto, for example, to find landmarks that would qualify for your definition. Besides, it doesn't solve the problem we are having here - how to classify pluto-like objects.

The IAU definition has the advantage of being easy to measure. There's basically a set mass and diameter range minimum for how an object can be nearly round, e.g. as opposed to some traditional asteroid shape. As well, it offically defines the double planet (which I find to be totally awesome, since double planets are cool) and classifies a new group of objects (Plutons, in the same way planets are classified as Terrestrials or Gas Planets) that will be able to be studied easier due to the new classification.

As I said earlier, though, science is for the scientists, not the populace. It's much more important to find out how advantagous this new system will work for those who will study it, not for people with only a vague interest in it.

[FFL2and3rocks]

Heh, as soon as I clicked this topic, they started talking about this on TV.

[Meiscool-2]

Originally posted by Bill3000
Sorry to rain on your parade, guys, but the IAU requires all planets to be named after deities of creation.

Such as Meiscool, the creator of Cool.....         -aid.

[Razor]

Originally posted by Linkizcool
"I want White Dwarf to enter me."

lol


So, do you think we're going to get stuck with a whole bunch? I hope not. Screw you, other planets!

[Emerates]

Hey, man!  I would study it!  I wanted to be an astronaut.... once....

As for making me look like an idiot, thanks.  However, I just think that a GIANT POTATO-shaped thing shouldn't be classified as a planet, because then it would make all the cool planets look bad.

Damn....  I used to be really smart, and now my intelligence is starting slip away over the years...

[drenrin2120]

Originally posted by Meiscool

Such as Meiscool, the creator of Cool.....         -aid.

You are a god!

[Djanki]

Hey...If there are new planets discovered, does that mean they'll remake Sailor Moon (or make a sequel) so that it includes the new three planets? 'Cause I've got a bomb shelter with no T.V. prepared just in case they do (otherwise known as my room)....

*rim shot*...

...No, but seriously, if that happens, it'll be sorta good. I mean, 'Sailor Ceres'? Boy, won't Locke be happy...Ceres in a miniskirt...

*rim shot*...

Maybe after that, when they find a new asteroid, they'll call it 'Tellah', or 'Jenova', or 'Sephiroth'. Or, in a worse case senario, 'Meteo'.

*rim shot*...

...Oh, and not all of the planets are named after deities of creation...technically. Mercury was the Messenger of the Gods according to Roman Mythology. Then again, who knows? I might be wrong...

...Aw, crap...I forgot...Locke's wife is  Celes, not  Ceres...
...
...Now, not the face! Not the face!
*Shotgun blast*....

...*rim shot*...

[Weregnome]

I heard that the apparant Planet X has been named Xena. Is this information correct?

[Emerates]

It's a nickname given to it by the leader of the astronomer team that discovered it a few years back.  Xena is not the official name of Planet X, even though that's what a lot of people (who have heard of it, at least,) probably call it.

Also, in researching the answer to your question, I found that 'Xena' is about 3 times farther from the sun than pluto.