[meteorite-list] Astronomers Lean Toward Eight Planets

[Impactika at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/23/2006 4:38:36 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,  
sterling_k_webb at sbcglobal.net writes:

2. I firmly  agree with Ron Baalke (who's a Pro-Eight) that
the cultural component of this  dispute is a major, maybe THE
major, consideration. This a great  "opportunity" to make science
look silly to the populace, something we really  don't need
right now. Once formed, public perception is hard to  change.
What we have to decide is what makes science look sillier,
or less  silly.
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I have been reading all those posts about the 8 - 9 - 12 - 1000000000  
planets, and trying to make sense out of it.
 
Yes, the cultural component is a major consideration. 
>From the time I was a little girl going to the Planetarium in Paris, I was  
taught that a Planet was a sphere orbiting the Sun. And that there were 9 of  
them. There could be more, we simply didn't know enough to tell one  way or the 
other.  And the masses that weren't round? they were Asteroids.  Period. And 
that covered the whole thing. No discussion as to composition, angle  of the 
orbit, number of moons, or distance from the Sun. 
 
To me that still covers it. And that makes perfect sense. Regardless of  
numbers. 

Now why can't the members of the IAU see it that way? aren't they  simply 
lacking Common Sense?
 
Vox Populi.

Anne M.  Black
www.IMPACTIKA.com
IMPACTIKA at aol.com
President, I.M.C.A.  Inc.
www.IMCA.cc