Magazine readers to name newly discovered planet

[tarchon]

You think? That seems kind of odd to pussyfoot around such a highly debatable subject simply because they don't want to offend one person. But then I'm not a scientist so maybe that's normal behavior.

He was a kind of an icon - it wasn't his being American so much as that he was personally quite sensitive on the issue, and back in the day he was also one of astronomy's most popular figures, sort of an unlikely hero who discovered a (presumptive) planet through a combination of astounding perseverence and good luck. The other factor is of course that "planet" isn't a scientifically useful term, so any definition would have to be based on some aspect of culture, which inevitably makes it controversial.

 

[reveal]

He was a kind of an icon - it wasn't his being American so much as that he was personally quite sensitive on the issue, and back in the day he was also one of astronomy's most popular figures, sort of an unlikely hero who discovered a (presumptive) planet through a combination of astounding perseverence and good luck. The other factor is of course that "planet" isn't a scientifically useful term, so any definition would have to be based on some aspect of culture, which inevitably makes it controversial.

Are there any properties that all the planets have in common, besides being a round mass? Maybe they can use that as a foundation and then build a definition from there. Come up with the smallest size allowable, etc.

 

[tarchon]

Are there any properties that all the planets have in common, besides being a round mass? Maybe they can use that as a foundation and then build a definition from there. Come up with the smallest size allowable, etc.

No (natural) nuclear fusion, bigger than Ceres, and not in orbit around another planet. Being near the ecliptic seems to help too. Several moons would easily qualify if they weren't orbiting planets already. I would guess that they'll make an arbitary cutoff at 2000 km diameter, which would handlily exclude Ceres (et al.), Sedna, and Quaoar, while including Pluto (and the new guy). There's not really any reason I know of that the Kuiper belt object classification has to exclude the planet classification. Obviously, the 8 inner planets are fairly diverse as it is. The number of 2000 km+ Kuiper belt objects can't be too large anyway.

 

[Psionicist]

I vote "Captain".

 

[tarchon]

I vote "Captain".

I'm leery of the possibility of its having a satellite called Tenille.

 

[DaveMage]

I'm leery of the possibility of its having a satellite called Tenille.

And after every orbit, someone would sing "Do that to me one more time..."

 

[Klaus]

Mongo!

http://flashgordon.ws/images/mongo_map.jpeg

Or Mogo!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogo

 

[Dirigible]

The British magazine New Scientist has called on readers to help suggest a name for the solar system's 10th planet, whose discovery was announced...

Scuttlebutt is that this idea was originally concocted by Playboy, but the International Astronomical Union refused to tolerate a planet called 'Boobie'.

 

[reveal]

And after every orbit, someone would sing "Do that to me one more time..."

Scientist: "Professor Frink, that moon seems to be moving away from the planet. What can stop that from happening?"

Professor Frink: "Love. Love will keep them together."

 

[IronWolf]

How about h4x0r3d?

Cause one of the interesting bits about this planet is that the announcement was probably made because a hacker threatened to play that care. See here.