And then there were 8

[Green Gibbon!]

So today a bunch of astronomers got together in Prague and finally shot Pluto a long-delayed middle finger, effectively antiquating the last of everything I ever learned in second grade. Wasted year of childhood aside, I support the decision because I've plucked lint from my navel that had more surface area than Pluto. However, it seems a number of people have an unreasonable connection to the ex-planet. Why, I cannot fathom. It's not like they've ever been there.

Everyone must have an opinion on this.

[Baba O'Reily]

Pluto can suck my nuts.

I think that if we built a gigantic bridge between Charon and Pluto, we can consider it a planet. Otherwise, fuck off and die, you mildly oversized asteroid.

[Locit]

I will miss it because now that one Animaniacs song is inaccurate. And until recently I was under the impression that Pluto was to stay a planet. Goodness but these astronomers change their minds quickly, don't they?

[FlashTHD]

No way i'm going into space in my lifetime, so whatever re-arranging of the solar system they see fit to make is cool with me. If it's giving the people who make these decisions headaches over what's a planet and what isn't, may as well blow it off. At best, Pluto was more a novelty to me with its' weird orbit.

The one exception in my book is trying to call the Ceres Asteriod a planet - how the hell does it have any of the redeeming qualities of a planetoid? Not like you can easily colonize it since it's sitting in the middle of the Asteroid Belt, and to anyone else it's little more than a boring, humongous space rock. In perspective, Mercury's got more notoriety than that.

[Delphine]

I

AM

SO

SAD.

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

I'm surprised it took so long for them to denounce it as a planet, actually. There are asteroids around other planets much bigger than Pluto.

[Ngangbius]

However, it seems a number of people have an unreasonable connection to the ex-planet. Why, I cannot fathom. It's not like they've ever been there.

Because it just screws up the mnemonic, "My Very Educated Mother Just Summed Up Nine..."

nine what? ;-)

[Spazz]

"My Very Excellent Mother Just Started Using Narcotics"

[Frieza2000]

Wasn't the only literary significance of the number 9 that it was the number of planets? This decision will throw off all kinds of symbolism and confuse future generations of horny prepubescents watching Sailor Moon.

But its new scientific classification is "dwarf planet", so it's still considered a planet of some kind.

[Brazillian Cara]

Regardless of what science says, I'll still consider Pluto a planet.

The one exception in my book is trying to call the Ceres Asteriod a planet - how the hell does it have any of the redeeming qualities of a planetoid? Not like you can easily colonize it since it's sitting in the middle of the Asteroid Belt, and to anyone else it's little more than a boring, humongous space rock. In perspective, Mercury's got more notoriety than that.

Actually, I don't think it's even phisically possible to land in planets like Jupiter and Saturn (you know, being mostly made of gas).

[Delphine]

We could, given the technology, land on Jupiter and Saturn. But we don't have the technology and if we ever do it's very far off. And I doubt we would ever bother to colonize them. Mars, on the other hand...

[FlashTHD]

The one exception in my book is trying to call the Ceres Asteriod a planet - how the hell does it have any of the redeeming qualities of a planetoid? Not like you can easily colonize it since it's sitting in the middle of the Asteroid Belt, and to anyone else it's little more than a boring, humongous space rock. In perspective, Mercury's got more notoriety than that.

Actually, I don't think it's even phisically possible to land in planets like Jupiter and Saturn (you know, being mostly made of gas).

For one thing, Jupiter and Saturn have plenty of moons, but my point was that Ceres is hardly what i'd call a full-fledged planet. Doesn't it just barely meet the new requirements, or did those standards get chucked out the window with Pluto?

[Sniffnoy]

For one thing, Jupiter and Saturn have plenty of moons, but my point was that Ceres is hardly what i'd call a full-fledged planet. Doesn't it just barely meet the new requirements, or did those standards get chucked out the window with Pluto?

Well, presumably Ceres is now officially a "dwarf planet" like Pluto.

You know, what doesn't seem to be mentioned much is that Ceres and the other first few asteroids were considered planets when they were first discovered; planet demotion is not new.

[j-man]

It's just not right, dammit! ;__;

[Delphine]

<img src="http://www.dontfeedthewriter.com/11t/plutoangry.jpg">

[Ngangbius]

"Paid for by the friends of Pluto"

[jenkins]

Does this mean Sailor Pluto dies too? Or does she just get much smaller?

Bit of a stupid question, I guess...but what do we do with her now?

[Delphine]

I can think of a few things.

[jenkins]

So were you the other one who clicked "Pluto is hot?"

[Delphine]

No, I chose the second option. BECAUSE I AM VERY SAD. VERY SAD INDEED.

[Baba O'Reily]

If you keep Pluto, it fucks up the pneumonic devices anyways, because we've got UB313 to consider.

What the hell do you make with that?

My Very Educated Mother Served Us Nine Plates UB313

[Brazillian Cara]

Wasn't that called Sedna? (named after some eskimo godness)

[Baba O'Reily]

Sedna is a completely different object, though located in the same area (Kuiper Belt).

[aso]

It's still notable (given that it's led to the use of the term 'dwarf planet') so it's not like Pluto is going anywhere. My 1993 edition 3rd Grade Science book is now, sadly, out of date, but them's the breaks.

[Arcade]

For me Pluto will still be a planet, If I’m forced too, I may call him “little planetâ€￾ like the Miracle planet…