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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Pluto Gets a Kick in the Nuts

Last week, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided on new rules classifying planets. Alas, poor Pluto has been demoted to a "dwarf planet". Pluto does not qualify under the new definition of (classical) planet because it does not "clear the neighborhood around its orbit". What the IAU failed to consider, is that Pluto has heart. Maybe Pluto isn't the tidiest planet, leaving junk in it's orbit (actually, the overlap with Neptune's orbit is the main issue), but EVERYBODY loves Pluto. I think our admiration for Pluto has something to do with it being the smallest and most distant planet. People love to root for underdogs. Maybe the IAU members never saw Rocky? I am still hoping that Pluto will get up off the mat and kick Apollo Creed's butt.

That really burns my orbit.

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