12 Planets?

[Pbartender]

I'm gonna buck the trend: I like the names Xena and Gabrielle. I'm sure they won't stick, but I think they're great.

I don't particularly like those names, but I certainly dont' understand why so many complain about them... It's widely known that Xena and Gabrielle are just temporary nicknames (and a lot easier to say than "2003 UB313") until something permanent can be thought up, and they're mostly used as a joke, besides.

If we really wanted to be fair we'd spread the wealth a little. Why not name one of the planets Osiris, or Tuoni or some other god(dess) of the underworld? Hel would be good, and quite descriptive.

Actually, we already have "minor planets" named Sedna, an Inuit ocean goddess, Quaoar, the Tongva creator god, and Varuna, a Hindu god of the sky, rain, the celestial ocean, law and the underworld... They're all on the short list for consideration as additional planets.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Iau_dozen.jpg

Xena: Orcus (god of the dead)

Sorry, Orcus is already taken. (See link above.)

(I really don't like the thought of considering Charon a planet itself, but if I bothered to check into the scientific reasoning and stats behind it, I might change my mind and be okay with it)

If you bothered to read the first post in the thread (and several that came after), you'd have all the scientific reasoning and stats you require...

 

[BlueBlackRed]

I was under the impression that all planets were given Roman god names, and the next planet named was set to be, indeed, Vulcan.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I was under the impression that all planets were given Roman god names, and the next planet named was set to be, indeed, Vulcan.

Fascinating, Captain.

I think if we find another large planet with a bunch of moons, we should name it Orpheus (or perhaps Terpsichore).

Then we name the first moon we discover "Clapton," since, as the graffiti says, he is God...

Of course, we'd have to follow that up with other moons named Hendrix, May, Segovia, Gilmour, Johnson, Satriani, Malmsteen, and so forth.*

*I'm just using guitarists...any kind of talented musician would be worthy- Orbison, Popper, Wonder, Hancock...

 

[Ranger REG]

I was under the impression that all planets were given Roman god names, and the next planet named was set to be, indeed, Vulcan.

*raises a Vulcan eyebrow*

Fascinating.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't want to colonize there. I might be subjected to a condition where my sex drive peaks once every seven years.

 

[Jdvn1]

How cool is it that Xena's moon is named Gabrielle?

They did that on purpose.

And that CNN article isn't great. I recommend you read these (the source):
http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0601/iau0601_release.html
and because everyone seems to think there's a huge throng of astronomers trying to make Pluto not a planet (there isn't):
http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/STATUS_OF_PLUTO.238.0.html

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

Years ago some scientists tried to get the scientific community to stop calling Pluto a planet (Which is noted in the Christine Lavin song "Planet X") because it didn't fit all the definitions of a planet. The campaign failed, and the definition of Planet was re-written to remove ambiguity.

As a result of the re-written definition we have 3 more heavenly bodies which qualify for planet status.

 

[Pbartender]

I think if we find another large planet with a bunch of moons, we should name it Orpheus (or perhaps Terpsichore).

Orpheus (or Theia) is the name of the hypothetical planet that collided with Earth to make the moon.

Terpsichore is already an asteroid.

Years ago some scientists tried to get the scientific community to stop calling Pluto a planet (Which is noted in the Christine Lavin song "Planet X") because it didn't fit all the definitions of a planet. The campaign failed, and the definition of Planet was re-written to remove ambiguity.

Actually, there never was a formal definition of what a planet was... Up until now, the definition of a planet was, essentially, "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are planets."

Pluto was a planet simply because the IAU said it was, not because it met any qualifying criteria.

As a result of the re-written definition we have 3 more heavenly bodies which qualify for planet status.

Also be aware that even thought the new proposal is likely to pass, it still needs to be voted on and isn't official just yet.


Oh, and thanks, Jdvn1, for the IAU articles... I posted the CNN link, since that's where I saw it first and neglected to follow up.

 

[mythusmage]

You must admit the new definition of what a planet is is a Ceres attempt to rectify the problem.

 

[Thunderfoot]

You must admit the new definition of what a planet is is a Ceres attempt to rectify the problem.

Boooo!!! HISSSSSSS! Booooooo!

If I recall correctly, Neptune and Pluto were named becuase of the representative surfaces (Blue like the ocean and Black like Hel) through telescopes. It would make sense that the two new planets would be named according to their features; what they may be or the names that would fit them are unknown to me, but I would like to see the trend continue.

 

[Jdvn1]

Oh, and thanks, Jdvn1, for the IAU articles... I posted the CNN link, since that's where I saw it first and neglected to follow up.

I've actually been following up the IAU for years. That's where I first got my information. It's important to note, I think, that they list different definitions of a planet...