[meteorite-list] pluto/2015

[Larry Lebofsky]

Steve:

Looks like they finally got go for launch.

Technically, a spacecraft, not a satellite. It will fly by Pluto and then is
planned to fly by 1 or 2 more Trans-Neptunian Objects.

Have you gone to the New Horizon's website? Here it is.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

One of the discussions going on now is defining a planet. How does a planet
differ from a large asteroid? This has become an issue with the discovery in the
last few years of objects in the Solar System beyond Neptune that are just a
little smaller or even bigger than Pluto. Are they planets?

To avoid the issue: Pluto IS a planet according to the IAU! So we have at least
9 planets. That will not change.

Larry