Plutos supporters to battle for its planetary status
June 23rd, 2008 - 12:24 pm ICT by ANILondon, June 23 (ANI): Supporters of the planetary status of Pluto have expressed their displeasure about the planet being demoted to the status of a plutoid, and are marshalling support for a major scientific meeting devoted to debating its place in the solar system.
International Astronomical Unions (IAU) controversial decision to designate Pluto and its cousin Eris as plutoids irked the defenders of planet Pluto, who have not been appeased by its latest name change, according to a report in New Scientist.
It sounds like haemorrhoids, said Alan Stern, who is chief scientist for NASAs New Horizons mission to Pluto.
According to Stern, planetary scientists have been left out of the IAUs decision-making.
Now, these scientists will get the chance to present arguments for and against at The Great Planet Debate in August at Laurel, Maryland, US.
But the IAU wont be obliged to accept their conclusions.
The IAU has done what it could to come forward with a working definition, said IAU general secretary Karel van der Hucht. In the meantime, its a free world, anybody may organise meetings on the subject, he added. (ANI)
- Astronomers hope to get Pluto recognized as planet in 2009 - Jan 03, 2009
- Pluto likely to remain a 'dwarf planet' - Aug 01, 2009
- Icy surface of Eris dominated by nitrogen, methane - Oct 06, 2010
- Scientists once again in the great planetary debate - Sep 22, 2008
- Fight for renewing Plutos status on - Aug 16, 2008
- Pluto may be warm enough to harbour ocean beneath its ice shell - Dec 18, 2010
- Solar System objects like Pluto to be called as plutoid - Jun 12, 2008
- Pluto should get back its planet status, claim astronomers - Aug 10, 2008
- US Hubble Space Telescope photos show that Pluto is changing colors - Feb 09, 2010
- Our solar system may have 13 planets - Aug 13, 2008
- One of the largest objects in a distant solar body named Makemake - Jul 15, 2008
- Most detailed view of Pluto reveals color-changing world - Feb 05, 2010
- NASA: Astronomers discover Pluto's fourth moon - Jul 21, 2011
- Could city lights help locate alien civilisations? - Nov 04, 2011
- Student's space-dust counter breaks distance record, heads for Pluto - Oct 12, 2010
Tags: alan stern, chief scientist, conclusions, controversial decision, cousin, displeasure, general secretary, iau, june 23, karel, laurel maryland, new horizons, new scientist, planet debate, planet pluto, planetary scientists, planetary status, plutoid, solar system, van der hucht