[meteorite-list] Why Planets Will Never Be Defined

[Marco Langbroek]

> "The second division was along national lines," Morrison explained.
> "Some astronomers seemed irritated by perceived American domination of
> the process. Some felt, with considerable justification in my opinion,
> that some Americans astronomers defended Pluto as a planet in large part
> because an American had discovered it. As in so many other international
> contexts, there can be reaction against perceived American arrogance."

I hesitate to say so knowing it will raise sentiments on this list: but Morrison 
is right, this is indeed how many here in Europe have perceived the issue. Mind 
you, it not only concerned the status of Pluto, but also the status of 2003 
UB313, discovered by Brown...an American too.

In fact, and I hesitated to say so when we had the discussion raging on this 
list a few months ago but do so now: many Europeans from the small solar system 
body community feel the same thing is behind the controversy of who discovered 
2003 EL61 - the Spanish team of Ortiz et al., or the American team of Brown et 
al. You can see the same divide along lines of nationality in the two opposing 
sides in that debate. Many Europeans take side with Ortiz et al. against what 
they perceive as a case of the sueing culture and mighty PR machinery of 
Americans at work here.

- Marco

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Dr Marco Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)

e-mail: meteorites at dmsweb.org
private website http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek
DMS website http://www.dmsweb.org
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