Page 4 - So... how many planets, again?

Here is the actual Final outcome.

The information in the previous link was preliminary since it was made just before the final vote. If you read closely there were a few wording changes before the final vote.

RESOLUTION 5A
The IAU therefore resolves that "planets" and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:

(1) A "planet"1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

(2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape2 , (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

(3) All other objects3 except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar-System Bodies".
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1The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
2An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories.
3These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.
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IAU Resolution: Pluto

RESOLUTION 6A
The IAU further resolves:

Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects.1

Pluto!!! I miss you already

A silent tear rolls down my cheek.

Ahhhh noooo! This poor lifeless chunk of cold hard rock! How will we ever face what we have done??!?!

You called

Now pluto is a dwarf planet.

poor pluto... In my mind it will still always be a planet.. so in it's memory I write this poem...

Title: Good Old Pluto


Out there you sit so far,
So tiny and so cold,
You orbit around our star,
I love you, but now I'm told,
You are no longer a planet,
But some kind of Planet that's dwarfed.
Im telling NASA to can it,
There is no way Pluto's Object type can be morphed
It may have a strange orbit,
It may have a small size,
But it will always be a planet in my little eyes!


*sniffle*

Well at least pluto isn't alone, he has some other dwarf planets to play with now. He was always a little smaller then the other kids, but we always just brushed it off, and said he was just unique. But no more, the truth comes out.

yeah but the other dwarfs are so far away from him. He's gonna have to use all of his frequent flyer miles to play with them...

lol, true, hes gonna be lonely, maybe the big boys will let him play every once in awhile.

i reckon it's all a conspiracy because Bush is planning to send people to all the planets but wants to save some time so he pulled some strings, pushed buttons and fiddled with knobs and got one struck of the end .
j/k

huraa, finally that erratic little blue dot can be forgotten about.

and for the record, that brings America back to square one in terms of inter-solar-system planetary discoveries. how'd ya like that you space-cowboy you! .



{is it obvious i need to go to sleep?}

Who says pluto is blue

Thanks for the final update, Ed.

Ya thanks for the update.

It is sad though now that =

it's ok...pluto takes so long to get around the sun im sure it's feeling won't be hurt for another 200 years. ish.