[meteorite-list] Devil's advocate

[Sterling K. Webb]

Hi,

    Compared to Jupiter, the WHOLE solar system
is nothing but debris. Why not ONE planet? Easy
definition, short list to memorize...

Sterling K. Webb
---------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse at charter.net>
To: "Rob McCafferty" <rob_mccafferty at yahoo.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Devil's advocate


On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:43:31 -0700 (PDT), you wrote:

>If Pluto crosses the orbit of Neptune (which it does)
>then one has to ask if Neptune is a planet since it
>hasn't cleared its orbit of debris. Surely Pluto
>counts as pretty significant debris if we're stll
>asking whether it's a planet or not!?

Neptune mass: 1.0247e26 kg
Pluto mass: 1.27e22 kg

So to 2 significant figures (if I'm doing my math right) Neptune is 8000 
times
the mass of Pluto-- or Pluto is around .0125 percent as massive as Saturn. 
So,
in comparison, for a 180 pound person, that amount of "mass" would be around 
10
grams, or a handful of hair and a couple of toenail clippings.  I wouldn't 
call
that "significant" debris.
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