[meteorite-list] 'Plutons' Push Planet Total Up To 12

[David Weir]

Sterling,

I have another scenario that will need an official decision someday if 
discovered to occur. What if two spherical bodies rotate around a common 
barycenter, but this barycenter is located outside of the more massive 
orbital partner during half its revolution and inside during the other 
half. Obviously the larger body will not be perfectly spherical and/or 
the orbits not circular for this scenario to occur. Would the less 
massive body then be a planet or a satellite? Would the decision be 
based on the length of time that the center of revolution is either 
outside or inside the more massive body, i.e., would it be a satellite 
some of the time and a planet some of the time, or would it be a 
satellite all of the time if at any time during its orbit its barycenter 
is located inside the more massive object?

David