Oh give me a break. It is not like they are saying take a nuke and blow the rock up.

Pluto is a planet if I say it is!

I thought Pluto was my dog!?!

Pluto is a dog!!!

I love it. Up with Pluto Power!

we need to know what's a planet, it seems simple but we really need to know, now, what is a planet for the IAU? next they'll start renaming everything that circles the sun!

I wake to see someone is out. It's not fare.

We think Pluto should be a planet.

Right on, plutonians!

Just to let you Terrans know: us folks from Ceres are also still mad at you for demoting us to "asteroid" in the 19th century.

Is there any oil on Pluto?

i think that it should be named "ELVIS"

Am I reading The Onion? or the Washington Post?

Is Miss Pluto still eligible to win the Miss Universe Pageant?

Meh. Pluto's only been a planet since 1930, so you can't really say it's a "classical" planet.

Who cares if it's small? Maybe it's just more power-packed.

Pluto is a large icy ball floating out in the Kuiper Belt along with possibly 100's of other objects of about the same size. If Pluto is a planet, all those other objects that we WILL discover this decade are a planet as well. Come up with a mnemonic for that, I dare you. We are better off with just 8 classical planets to worry about.

I just heard Pluto was talking smack about someone and this is how the IAU responded, calling it a midget essentially....

Why don't we ask President Bush? He's the decider about all kinds of things he knows nothing about.

"Dwarf" planet?! How long before some 1-800-BLAME-SOMEONE-ELSE-FOR-YOUR-MISFORTUNE-TYPE lawyer representing dwarves takes issue with that particular designation and files a class-action lawsuit?

No oil but lots of Plutonium.

Maybe Pluto could sell naming rights to recapture status. Welcome to Pluto, Sponsored by Microsoft!

Pluto is one of the small planets in the solar system.And now he is out from the solar system.aftr discovery of pluto why these scients didnt give attention to pluto's orbit and mass&structure.only after 60 years back they got understand that.why?.i think this is one of the play for getting famous.no wonder we heared such thing in this world.even in future neptun and uranas may out.

It isn't a planet, whats the big deal? All we a re doing is putting a different label on the same object.

This is a joke, right? It's gotta be a joke...

I really don't think there's such thing as plutarions. all that is just rubbish

Use their rules for any Future
ones is fine by me, but try to reteach everyone in the world?
Destroy every model, rewrite
the last 75 years of books and
reference materials? Who would
be that stupid!!!!!

Pluto is not a "dwarf" planet. Let's be more sensitive here. It's just "size-challeged."

All this talk about Pluto, and no mention of Charon? Is there a Ying without a Yang? Pluto may be 'demoted' to dwarf, but it is a dwarf with a conjoined twin.

Wow, you've got to be kidding me... I know some people get really fired up about stuff they believe in, but suing the IAU on Pluto's behalf?!?! That's just ridiculous.

"Planet" is a word, like all other words, that carries absolutely NO MEANING outside of our "earthling culture".

well it makes sence to me, and while we are at it i think we should demote the gas plannets to. hey that way i might beable to remember all the planets for the next solarsystem test!

We Charonese have always hated those smug Plutonians for calling their ice ball a 'planet' and referring to our world as their moon! Serves them right, being demoted to dwarf planet.

Where to apply for residency for Pluto? I want to be a citizen.

Pluto, suffering from planet envy, sues. Film at eleven.

only in united states

It's still a planet to me. You can't reteach older people the nine (yes, nine) planets of the solar system.

That is complete bs, what's the point of taking its planet status away, focus on things that are more important...like herpies

i think this is all rubbish.you dont need to sue some scientist organization just because pluto got kicked out. its a waste of time ,basically and its not like pluto got bombed or just disappeared or something ,i mean geez
it STILL a planet!

my first thoughts upon reading this is.. is this the onion?

We can't Lose "pizza" School children everywhere will no longer be able to remember the order of the plants. My very engergetic mother just sold us nine.... nine what? There has to be pizza!

What about that probe they sent out Pluto to get a better look at that oversized snowball? What are they going to do with it now? I guess NASA can now ram it into uranus (Or thieranus!)

all this rubbish wil be worthless later in 30 years you will be crying because you guys wasted your time sueing somebody for a relabeling of a rock outside this planet

Actually I think taking a nuke and blowing the rock up would be the sensible thing to do. No more rock, no more need to argue over whether it's a planet or not.

At last, glorious Neptune has its revenge! Dirty Plutonians; for 20 years out of every 200 they've been usurping our rightful place as eighth planet! But no more!

And who'd have thought IAU votes came so cheap? Just a couple qwatloos dropped into the right lab coats ...

Miss Vera Emily Marian Just Sent Us Nothing
Mercury Venus Earth Mars jupiter Saturn Neptune

um hello ...arent these people looking like babies NOW???

I disagree with the IAU over its attempt to define the term "planet", but SUING the IAU is going a bit overboard! Puh-leez! Let's face it: People have the right to disagree with the IAU and define the sky independently of the IAU's definition. The IAU isn't my boss. So what's the point about suing?

So the planet was "kicked off the island", huh? :-)

"What's in a name?" That which we call a planet, By any other word would orbit as sweet.
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars..." but with the IAU declassifcation. Perhaps they would prefer the anonymous anomalous approach as appropriate?
"To be or not to be, --that is the question!" So, call it what you will, as for me,"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

Hey - does this make all of you planets if I think the universe revolves around ME?

SAVE PLUTO!!!! LOL!!!

Bush is behind it. He thinks it's a way to stop the Iranians from producing weapons grade plutonium.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I think we should still keep Pluto as a Planet

They sued to bring attantion to the issue. IT WORKED (see comments)

Who really cares... after 2 weeks everyone is going to forget about it...

I see it as a waste of Tax payers dollars...

Honestly there are more worse problems in this world then calling Pluto a planet or a dwarf planet...

Whow has heard of a country called Transnistria.. or Ajaria or Abkhazia.... we need to worry about worldly problems then thinking about Pluto... for an average earthly citizen... it realyl doesnt matter...

Hey Pluto... UP URANUS !!!!

Cohen, you are fabulous!

Have we heard yet from Al-Jazeera? Have they already broadcast the video of the insurgents gloating over eliminating Pluto and ending it's right to exist? Do we know if this "de-classification" was the result of any of the IAU's family members being held hostage by the anti-Pluto insurgency? What about a comment from Tush Bimbaugh? Anything from Billy O?
Thanks, Mr. Cohen for the 'hard hitting expose'. I may subscribe to the Post just because of your efforts here!

I can't believe this crap. Instead of worrying about world problems we face today we argue over stupid stuff like wether something out in space, that is unreachable by us, is a planet or not.

This goes to show you that in America you can sue for anything you dam well please and all it does is cost us more tax dollars for someone's creative stupidity.

Pluto has Venus envy. (My own joke!)

I am still surprised someone has not registers a domain called savepluto.com

I thought Bush was the only one... but now it looks like there are a lot more...

next year I am going to hear that Jupiter is too big to be called a Planet... it has to be called a "Giant Planet" and not a regular planet...

When is this going to end...

god you people are stupid

All your Pluto are belong to us

I am so happy that all the prblems
on earth are solved so we can move on
to other planets.....What, there not???
than what the hell are we talking
about this for?

Thats funny!!!

Pluto is much like Canada.

Nobody cares about it until something idiotic happens!

im french ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Now that Pluto has lost its designation as a planet it will lose all federal funding. Damn those scientists.

An old man in the grocery store (where i work) stopped me and asked me if I was ready for the disaster that was about to happen? I inquired! He held meetings with some other people and they were going to pay money for a spaceship to take them away from Earth. Apparrently there is another planet beyond the former planet Pluto. They call it "Planet X" and it's on a crash course with Earth. It will do a fly-by and tilt the Earth so the equator is at the North and South Pole. Holy Moly! I googled it... Planet X is out there!!! It's a big spaceship he said. It will hold everyone in the world. A mothership. I kid you not!

Just what we need. Let's tie up our already overburdened courts with this stupidity.

If Pluto is not a planet, then Europe is not a continent. If plate tectonics justifies Europe as a continent, then we must call India and Madagascar "dwarf continents."

ok, this lawsuit is obviously not going to actually go anywhere. it's all a big publicity stunt. frankly, i was for the other definition proposed. i am not, however, upset and ready to sue over the fact that they chose the definition that they did.

this doesn't physically change anything about pluto. pluto is still the same, we just classify it differently. pluto, not being a sentient being, can't feel any of the array of emotions related with name calling or discrimination, therefore it is completely irrelevant how it is classified outside of a scientific perspective.

the one thing i'd like to add concerning the actual definition is this: "has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit." is a condition to being a planet, pluto crosses paths with neptune, neptune hasn't cleared pluto out of the "neighborhood" of its orbit, therefore neptune is no longer a planet.

Um, Andrew. I don't think people know your column today is a joke. Just guessing.

So when does Dwarfs Gone Wild (Pluto Edition) come out on E!?

My vagina itches when I have sex with my dog, Pluto. Do you all think I have flies?

on a serious note, why would they do this uuuhhh there all a bunch of tards

Pluto has just declared that the members of the IAU are not smart enough to be considered true scientists. From now on they will be classified in a special category called "dumb scientists", to distinguish them from the "classical scientists" who make up other scientific societies.

Who are we trying to kid? Are the lawyers REALLY dumb enough to go for this one? If there is a judge that takes this "case," then we really do need to re-evaluate priorities!

i just read the tim from planet x review and what the hell is wrong with that old nutcrack? first of all do you know how much space it would take to hold approximatly 6.5 billion people? second, the guys retarded, third, think about materials and air and fuel, fourth, the old coots retarded,and finally where the hell are we supposed to go?.... did i mention the old guy is retarded?

THATS NO PLANET, THAT'S A SPACE STATION!

Reply to CT: Kind of like Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds radio broadcast, eh?

Andrew: I don't think people are catching on that your post today is a joke. As in, "made up for ha ha's."

Look, I've been to Pluto and it certainly is NOT a planet. I've been trying to tell you people for years. It's simply a little cute dwarf planet or wannabe planet. Finally my cause has been recognized and confirmed! Now it's on to prove that Uranus is really the opening to a worm hole.

Imagine someone from the Washington Post who can't even spell "flack"...

Since changes are being made, can we change the name of Uranus? "On a clear night I can see Uranus" has become quite the stale joke...at least in my household.

I am pissed at the declassifying of our planet. in 5 years we will come to destroy your planet with our death star!.............. george lucas stole that idea from us we will promise to disintergrate him. guess what, CHARON IS THE DEATH STAR!!!!!

Uranus is pronounced yoo-ruh-nus

lets change uranus to urectum

Dumb Frenchman! That is almost as retarded as changing the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries!!

Good Grief no one is saying Pluto isn't a planet. They said it was a "dwarf planet."

A cell phone is STILL a telephone, it is just a particular TYPE of phone.

A raincoat is STILL a coat, it's just a particular TYPE of coat

So Pluto is a "dwarf planet." It is a particular TYPE of planet.

Why not just keep pluto as a planet..? The IAU just caused more problems for everyone by messing with this issue.

Have you even considered what this will do for tourism?
Oh, and is pronouncing Uranus like "uriness" any better than "your anus"? Really.

.....Is it just me, or are a lot of people too dim to understand the concept of "satire" these days?

In future it might be wise to mark columns like this with a big flashing animated .gif saying "THIS IS A JOKE".

Poor Pluto. I don't think Pluto did anything to deserve all this rumpus. So it's a little puny. We tell puny kids not to feel bad about themselves, why not Pluto? I think it should be promoted back to a planet.

Leave my anus out of this. This is about YOUR anus!

To the pinhead who wrote, "only in united states", a couple points:

1. Look up the acronym IAU. They don't belong to us.
2. Post in your native language if you can't figure out ours.

Granted, if a lawsuit IS being filed, THAT pinhead probably IS ours. As will be the lawyers that take the case. And if you'll excuse me, I need another shower, another Prozac and a tall Jack Daniels.

Someday, when the sun gets hotter and all the inner planets are scorched, the Plutonians will have the last laugh. Kinda like Nevada when California falls into the Pacific...

"I see it as a waste of Tax payers dollars...

Honestly there are more worse problems in this world then calling Pluto a planet or a dwarf planet...

Whow has heard of a country called Transnistria.. or Ajaria or Abkhazia.... we need to worry about worldly problems then thinking about Pluto... for an average earthly citizen... it realyl doesnt matter..."

You're absolutely correct. Spelling and grammar is a good place to start. There is nothing more worse than a double superlative. And I still don't like the fact that a "planet" has to orbit the sun. What are we going to call objects around other stars and extra-solar objects that fit the other criteria? It's a poor definition, and they'll just have to revise it later. But I suppose that revision is what science is all about.

Pluto is not part of the United Federation of Planets. Therefore, Pluto is not a planet. Can't argue with logic...

How is this important?? Can I get the 2 minutes of my life back that were spent reading this article?

Earth disowns Pluto; interstellar war inevitable. Story at 10...

Were Donald and Mickey consulted about this decision?

How is coming up with a definition for the term "planet" a waste of our tax dollars???

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Potatoes ... oops

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles ...

Part of me wants to laugh and part of me wants to roll my eyes and turn my head from this whole thing. How many of the indignant idiots who responded noticed that he referred to "Plutonians" and "Plutonian legal principles"? I have some real sad news for those who took this tongue-in-cheek article seriously; there's no such things "Plutonians" which really makes it difficult for "Plutonian legal principles" to exist.
Folks, pay attention to what you're reading before you start blowing fuzes, besides, Zarton the Great has stated that any object less than 138 lahjaings in diameter is not a planet and therefore the only true planet is the sun. (For the morons who enjoy getting angry, that was a joke.)

I bet Republicans were involved in this discriminatory practice of planetary downgrade. Only a Republican would acknowledge the minority status of a person, place or thing (planet), and then publicly strip away any remaining dignity and kick it when it's down. Said Karl Rove, when asked about the declassification, "It's unfortunate that Pluto didn't grow enough in circumfrence to be of any real significance in the galacto-political arena. How can the Plutonians, in their incredible small numbers, speak for those in the majority? I'm more interested in what those large, gaseous bodies have to say." At time of this posting, the Jupitorians, Saturnians, Neptunesians, and Uranians were unavailable for comment. In other news... the Uranians are refusing to allow a UW (United Worlds) taskforce to inspect their uranium enrichment process.

Well, well, well

I must say that this is really an interesting turn of events. Pluto actually does possess all 3 traits. There are just too many scientists with too much time on their hands and not enough discoveries to make their lives worth living. My students say it's a planet. They believe the IAU should have waited until the NASA probe had sent back more pertinent information on the planet...yes I said planet...before making a decision. What are they going to do when they find they are wrong...vote again??

I'm in favor of keeping Pluto as an honorary planet no matter how many other cute little 'roids they find out there.

Wow that was really awful, not funny, and contrived. Plus there was a mistake even though there were only a few sentences. I like how there are excuses for not going into detail.

Be be politically correct, its not "Dwarf Planet", it's "Little Planet".

And don't even think about "Midget Planet" or "Dinky Planet" or anything else that would hurt its little feelings.

I suppose they're going to rename the sun next and then the moon.... heck, why stop there? lets rename everything.... even the human species... the IAU is a lame organization and should be shut down for trying to be the owners of the the universe...

This is the biggest waste of time and shows how stupid "scientific" thinking is when they throw out common sense and get stuck in their reductionism mindset. This isn't a scientific issue, except to those that want it to be, but an emotional issue. This is like when the first settlers of a new land began to "name" things. Are all the Great Lakes...Great? Is that mountain really just a hill? Is a sea just an inlet?

"Grandfather clause" Pluto...it stays a planet and spurs the imagination as to what this different world is like. Plus it opens the door to what lies beyond with the other icy "minor planets" like Xena. Who cares if this doesn't make "scientific" sense!! This is about human emotion and our need to name and love places. Some of the astronomers have misread this badly. They can always classify Pluto as a dwarf or minor planet in their scientific minds...thats fine and they should, but the public want Pluto to be a planet. Science can live with it, it won't stop gravity or destroy the universe.

Does Pluto behave differently now its not a planet? Therefore it is still a planet! Suppose astronomers have missed 9 planets larger than Jupiter between us and Pluto - would they be the planets then? Suite that Holstz came before Pluto.

Planet or not, this has clearly answered the age old question: "Does size really Matter?"

I agree with them - they should sue! However, to be fair, the trial should be held on Pluto.

I think Larry King should have told the Plutonian "Go stick it up Uranus"

just what we need, the washington post competing with the onion. what, did you run out of news to cover...or cover-up?!? (operation mockingbird)

"after the IAU declassified Pluto as one of the nine "classical" planets that circles the Sun."

That should be "...planets that circle the Sun."

Multiple planets circle.
One planet circles.

It's an epidemic in this country - this strange, sudden national inability to differentiate
between the plural and the singular.

Nivedita

(President, Plural Recognition Movement of America)

If Pluto is to be reduced in stuture that that make Goofy a mere dog?

Here's the real conspiracy theory....The text book publishers are filling the pockets of these so called Astronomers, and Scientists for their redisignation of Pluto, because now all existing text books will need to be revised, and they'll fill there own pockets with millions.

Otherwise this just makes no cents!!!(purposful spelling)

this whole matter is stupid. they're all tards and i wish i could just pop everyone of their god damn heads off!!

you relize this is as stupid as calling uranus a smelly planet, neptune a water palanet and the sun a giant flaming planet. hell why not say that the milky way is good to dip cookies in.

So, will 'Dub-ya announce plans to land on Pluto to try and raise his approval rating?

Stuff classifications. Look at the real underlying structure to the solar system. The Sun has four gas planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, each more outermost one smaller than the previous. If Jupiter was a lot bigger, it would explode and be a second star. These gas planets each have rings. The asteroid belt is the Sun's ring. The gas planets also have many moons each. Because there's a large gap between the Sun and it's first gas planet, it also has moons: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Luna, and Mars. Earth and Luna now circle each other. (Mars' moons are just captured asteroids so don't count as planets of the Sun.) Beyond the gas giants are the comets and "plutons".
Labeling things (eg, as "planet" or not) hinders conceptual understanding of the real structure of things.

pluto smuto. Hey, I wonder what happens to astrology now? ;-)

Bring back Classic Coke!!

Pluto failed its drug test and has been stripped of its title. When asked if it had indeed taken interplanetary steriods, its lawyer stepped in and answered, "No comment."

Rumors have been orbiting the solar system that Neptune has started a detoxification diet in fear that it will be tested next, since it is the default winner of the Tour de Galaxy.

When asked for a reaction, most other planets declined comment; however, Jupiter remarked, "Hey man Io think it's a gas."

I am a retired high school science teacher.

I always told my students that the word "planet" is difficult to define. I also told them that Pluto is far too different from the other planets, but far too different from the asteroids.

I agree with the decision to create a new class, "dwarf planet," and this describes Pluto perfectly.

Pluto is what it is. It doesn't matter what we call it. It just keeps on being exactly what it is. Isn't that weird?

well for . 40 odd year i have know this as a planet..then they change it of us ... i will always now and forever think of it as such ... No Sciencist is going to .. make me believe any different no matter the size .. of it

Next up on the IAU agenda: the "irregular" galaxy designation is demeaning. From now on, they will be officially known as "morphologically challenged" galaxies.

I think this is ridiclious, people are going to have to make changes in text book's mobiles on babys cribs. Seriously after the man that discovered pluto dies they are going to go back and question his theory????

Makes very entertaining mirthful journalism story, unusually nuanced. Props.

Is Australia a true continent? Yes- Even though Greenland is seemingly as great a landmass.Is Februrary a month? Yes- Even though it has only 28 or 29 days.Are dolphins mammals?Yes. So, why isn't Pluto a planet? Do we now forget about the Australian continent? The month of Februrary? Sea mammals ?

Wow, look at the glorious debate that makes our nation great! War in Iraq, gay marriage... psscchht... who cares? Pluto: can we say "election issue"?

We've found our next presidential election issue. Too bad Bush can't run for a 3rd term, he's taken a strong stance against the IAU because, quote, "I love that yellow dog."

This really shows American mass ignorance. If they can't deal with something so irrelevent to their lives, it's no wonder they can't adopt the metric system. I mean, most of the people who are opposed to the DEFINING of the term "planet" have absolutely no scientific [or any valid] reason behind their disagreement, other than perhaps the inconvenience of relearning meaningless mnemonics for remembering the names of the planets (in my opinion, this is [mostly] the school system's fault). Most probably don't even clearly understand the truth of the matter, and only oppose it because it's a European organization trying to inflict some [very minor] change into their lives. Most major scientific standards committees (IUPAC, SI ...) ARE located in Europe, which also explains why the U.S. isn't switching to metric units. It's the American mentality of being unique regardless of whether that uniquety will do more damage than good (which is generally the case).

Well, after all, if they can redefine marriage...

I wonder what court this case can be tried in... I mean, who would have jurisdiction? :-)

This is the best you can do? After complaining about a complete lack of legal news -- breaking stories -- with multiple daily posts on the Ramsey case, this pathetic attempt at satire is the best you can muster?

Especially today when the NY Times has acquired and analyzed the entire prosecution file for the Duke Lacrosse case.

At least you could have a follow on article condemning the leakers and questioning the legality of their actions in the face of the Judge's previous admonition.

YOU ARE PATHETIC.

BTW for your readers, I do not believe the NY Times was first to the case files.

The News Observer (Raleigh, Durham Chappel Hill) published a story on 6 August: http://www.newsobserver.com/1185/story/468272.html

It seems more honest than the Times story, but I haven't seen anything about it in the blogs.

Charon is not the death star,
Mimas is.
take a look at Mimas' images.

What is ridiculous is the third part of the resolution which demoted Pluto. That is what you get with legislation by committee.
What the heck does
"has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit", mean? Look at the Centaurs, and Trojan bodies near Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter. We must demote these planets
as well based on the wording.

Hey!...why does every other moon in our galaxy have neat names but our own does not??? I told a friend I thought it was Luna but he was quick to let me know Luna is simply the Latin word for moon. So what gives?

There is only one person that can probably
define a "planet". He was very definitive when he stated that "I didn't have sexual relations with Ms Monica" as we all laughed.

This entire thread is just hilarious.

PLUTO, ASTROLOGERS TO IAU: BRING IT

http://debbikemptonsmith.com/STARGAZE.HTM

I mounted Pluto, she has a big crater now! And baby, she's all planet for sure! Isn't demoting Pluto to a dwarf planet like saying little people aren't quite human? The only thing the IAU has is that Pluto's orbit crosses with Neptune a little. Otherwise Pluto is a planet by all other respects. Okay, so does this mean that a little person who has crutches, and doesn't walk straight, not be considered a true human? How are young children leaning about space going to interpret these comparisons? The IAU made a drastic change over such a weak argument. Really poor science on their part. This could effect a child's perception of people too.

My earlier issue about children is that a young child will often relate an object or animal with that of a human, or of human likeness. We see cartoon animals doing human things all the time. We see animated locomotives and airplanes with human-like faces on children's television. There's a show with little colorful creatures, having single antennas, dancing around picking flowers under a shining sun that has a baby's face! Children build perseptions and relationships watching this stuff. Making something "look" rejected for being just a little smaller, or just slightly offset, is a potential danger to the younger children in general. Earth has people and living things on it, so it's different! Should we call Earth a planet based on it having life? Should we reject all people, being that the other planets are people-less? Our children lose on this IAU move!

"H. Stern" wrote above;

"So when does Dwarfs Gone Wild (Pluto Edition) come out on E!?"

Reply:
Turn off Google search filtering and probe the internet a little deeper! (P.S., have your protection software updated and ready)

Not much Pluto, but lots of dwarf action and Uranus! Besides, we can't have canines joining that kind of action, can we?

Ah, Uranus! No matter how you say it, it comes out sooo nice! Neptune's the little mermaid's dad! Unda da sea...unda da sea...

Don't fret Iwannano! Luna is a latin name too. I knew a latin lady named Luna, and oh boy, what a moon!

"My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us...NOTHING!"

The third part of the definition "has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit" implies that all those "extrasolar planets" discovered orbiting around other stars by the "planethunters" using the doppler effect cannot actually be classified as planets. The astronomers don't have the information to prove that this part of the definition holds. So we should probably refer to them as "hunters of large mass objects orbiting extrasolar stars". The objects themselves would be referred to as "large mass objects orbiting extrasolar stars". Or should would change the definition to read "should theoretically have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit"?

I think IAU should come up with a definite definition of what a planet is, to avoid subsequent demotion of classical planets to Dwarf planets. ASAP

it's been known that there are 9 planet's in the universe for to long to say that there is now only 8, just because an astromonist had some believes that it wasn't.

Well, let's fight the IAU by signing a petition at http://pleasesavepluto.org

Pluto is a planet, was a planet and will remain a planet. Period.

Pluto is not being destroyed. What is there to protect Pluto from? A bunch of Earthlings, many planet's down, considering it a planet or not? It probably would have a tail if the comet Pluto came near the sun. That is in no way a planet feature, that I know of.

To lol!, Australia's landmass is nearly 3 million square miles while Greenland's landmass is just over 836,000 square miles. That's not even close.

My hypothesis is that even when Pluto is smaller than the eight other planets its weight is higher than the the largerst planet Jupiter. So what?