What is your opinion: Should we welcome 3 new planets or say good-bye to Pluto?

to tell you the truth, i think i can accept this definition, but it is definitely a compromise. the current system of classifying the bodies in the solar system is much too simple. the solar system is much more complex.

I would say that the following are minimum characteristics of planets.

1 & 2 below are arbitrary, you may prefer other variables.

1. Minimum Mass. 10^20 Kg. (about 1/100th the mass of Pluto).

2. Minimum Diameter. 1,500 Km (about 900 miles)

3. Orbit. Must be in orbit around a sun, and not a planet (therefore, Luna is not a planet, even though it's larger than Pluto).

4. Distance from sun. Not relevant, as long as it is clearly in orbit around the sun. Therefore, a massive sun may have planets dozen's of light-years away.

5. Is not itself a sun. That would be a binary or higher system.

6. Must not be in interstellar space, not associated with a sun or suns.

7. Not in a field of other bodies with the same approximate orbit. That would leave out anything in the Asteroid Belt and Oort Cloud.

So, I say that Pluto is a planet.

Now, how about "Xena" (aka, 2003 UB313)? To Hades (Greek God of the underworld) with conventions for naming planets. Xena is perfect. And Gabrielle for the moon.

If they can name a comet "Hale-Bopp" why not a planet after the Warrior Princess.

Now, I disagree with Charon and Ceres getting a promotion.

One shares an orbital field with thousands of smaller objects that have more mass in total that Ceres.

The other circles a planet, it's a moon.

If Charon is a planet, then what about Luna and some moons of Jupiter and Saturn?

I like the idea of three new planets, especially Ceres between Mars and Jupiter. Pluto has been around too long to just be dumped.

And I'm sure they'll find more large bodies like Xena out there, so the list will keep growing.

Nothing wrong with a little change.

Perhaps I would catch myself on occassion saying our solar system has 9 planets, not 12, but our children would accept it. As I understand it, Pluto's status as a planet isn't being called into question by the International Astronomical Union; FYI, the definition of a "planet" is supposed to be wrinkled out.

We should welcome the three "new" planets and the decision on just what a planet is. Actually, Ceres used to be a planet before getting demoted in the 19th century. I know if it passes, it won't change the way we live on Earth, but science fiction writers will have a feeding frenzy!

well if we take away 1, it will remain 8 forever.

if we add 3, next time we will add 5, then 7, then 9, until eventually there will be appr. 100 planets in the solar system.

demote pluto - close a abyssal hole

promote 3 more - open an endless hole that will be gradually filled up with more and more planets.

waiting to be apporved as also hygiea, sedna, vesta and many more.they wanty to be planets too!!

I think that Pluto and Xena should be included in the planets, because they orbit the Sun, but they should be called "small dwarf planets".

I wish that people would rely a bit less on "word magic" to determine existence. People who use word magic don't base their thinking on reality; instead, they give a name to a thing, and then they think that they understand the thing.

It doesn't matter what you call Pluto or Xena or Ceres. Whatever they physically are, so will they remain, even if the human labels for them change.

8 planets and Pluto as a dwarf planet makes most sense to me.

Added: To SassySours - SETI (the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) is a private concern. It's not funded by one single tax dollar.

I think if it exhibits gravitational pull and is orbiting around the SUN and not a planetary body (designating it as a moon, I would think) then it should be considered. If we closed off all opportunity to revision in everything we did, we would still have slavery, still think the world is flat....you get the idea. :)

Should "we", kimosabe? "We" have no say in the matter. What if the International Astronomical Union rules in a manner that you disagree with? What would you do about it?

If you won't *accept* it, tough.

Now, I like the idea of 3 more planets, but if they rule otherwise, so be it.