Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

Mad Grad Student · 2004-02-13 17:41:20

[=http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/pluto.html]Pluto

I'm bringing this subject up because it's been on my mind lately and I just wanted to see what you guys think. There's always been some debate over weither Pluto is a small planet, a planetoid, or a very big comet. There seems to be some evidence on either side, and I'll present the gist of it here.

The argument for: The definition of a planet is "Anything that orbits the sun close to the same plane where all the other planets do, has a relatively low eccentricity, and is large enough to become round under its own gravity," which Pluto fits. Additionally, Pluto is far larger than any other Kuiper Belt Objects we've found so far and obviously easier to find.

The argument against: Why call Pluto a planet when Quaoar, another Kuiper Belt Object, is 70% of Pluto's size, large enough to be round, and has an orbital inclination of only 8 degrees and and excentricity of only .04% is not considered a planet? Additionally, we may find dozens of objects the size of Pluto in the Kuiper Belt, are we really considering a 100-planet system? Perhaps we should think up a new definition for "planet" (And while we're at it, "life" as well).

Naturally, there are probably more important things to worry about than what Pluto is classified as. Even if it weren't a planet, I would still completely support the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, but I just wanted to see what your opinions on the subject are.

What do you think?

~Eternal~ · 2004-02-13 21:55:18

Its a planet simply because:
"If it can be terraformed its a planet" is my motto.

Mad Grad Student · 2004-02-14 22:30:33

Its a planet simply because:
"If it can be terraformed its a planet" is my motto.

Terraform Pluto! Are you nuts!? How in the net do you plan on doing that, moving the sun or something? Even if you could make Pluto hot enough to live on it would "melt" because the thing is made almost entirely out of methane and water. Then you have the whole atmosphere escaping into deep space problem, where did that come from?

Under your setup is Jupiter a planet? I don't see anyone terraforming that. Additionally, are the Moon, Europa, and Io planets? Those are WAY far-fetched but more likely than Pluto or Jupiter. Please clarify what you mean, ~eternal~.

~Eternal~ · 2004-02-15 13:07:30

It was a joke...
But terraforming Pluto is possible, just not probable.
Why move the Sun when you can Jupiter into one and move in Zeosynchronous orbit?

AnonYmus · 2004-02-17 13:07:45

Frankly, I'm surprised that anyone would take tbe time, energy or bodily stress to be angry about whether "Pluto" is a called planet or not. I think this whole website is probably some researcher's ruse. He or she may be laughing while gathering up his or her statistics.
Frankly, I don't care whether "Pluto" is a "planet" or not as their is practically zero chance that whatever "Pluto" is called it will ever be able to be colonized (unless a new sun is born closer to it and many other processes are invented that are both feasible and profitable.
I do think "P1uto" can have a totally different meaning than anything having to do with the "Pluto" as we generally think of it.
I got here from a website called "Mars" who, apparently, does many other things besides produce "chocolates".

Earthfirst · 2004-02-17 14:25:19

I dont think that it counts as a planet, it just too small.

atitarev · 2004-02-17 16:13:21

I think all the solid bodies in the solar system large enough to hold a colony with the gravity enough to stop people from flying away into space could be colonized (I don't mean terraformed!). To keep settlements warm, a lot of nuclear power could be used. Pluto has resources to support a colony. If the moons of the outer planets are colonized then we will have good technology to produce and save energy.

Honestly I don't care what you call it, we can still call it a planet as a tradition. As for terraforming, if the temperatures are kept just below the freezing point, the water will sublime but not as fast as the liquid water. I don't think Pluto is of big interest for colonizers but who knows, maybe some day...

Take a look at Arctic worlds of Ganymede/Callisto (imagination), that's the approach I would take for any "cold" planet or moon in the Solar system:
[http://www.geocities.com/ares2101/Jovia … rming.html]Jovian Terraforming

Palomar · 2004-02-19 09:33:30

I don't think Pluto is of big interest for colonizers but who knows, maybe some day...
Take a look at Arctic worlds of Ganymede/Callisto (imagination), that's the approach I would take for any "cold" planet or moon in the Solar system:
[http://www.geocities.com/ares2101/Jovia … rming.html]Jovian Terraforming

*That is a terrific web page, atitarev.

You should have created an entirely new thread for it, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing it. Though I'm not yet "sold" on terraforming other worlds, I admit the prospects are tantalizing and interesting to consider (especially when accompanied by lovely space art like the one in the web page).

As for Pluto: Count me out. Too far away from the sun.

--Cindy

atitarev · 2004-02-19 16:34:50

You should have created an entirely new thread for it, in my opinion.

I'll think about it, Cindy.

Rxke · 2004-02-20 12:25:26

Maybe Quaoar is not the biggest: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3506329.stm]2004 DW might be bigger... (found by the same guys that found Quaoar)

And 1800km is coming uncomfortably close to Pluto's 2300 km...

atitarev · 2004-02-21 06:13:22

The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud objects have a lot of nitrogen (frozen or gaseous), which could be a good source for terraforming Mars and other planets closer to the Sun. The delivery is an issue but the asteroids's trajectory could be directed towards Mars and then dumped on Mars in pieces.

Knowing the region is important for understanding the origin of the solar system and for the planetary engineers (terraformers), as the scientists say, the bombardment of all the planets with asteroids and comets was probably coming from the Oort cloud and Kuiper Belt and that's possibly where Earth got its atmosphere from.

Mad Grad Student · 2004-07-30 17:34:25

It was a joke...
But terraforming Pluto is possible, just not probable.
Why move the Sun when you can Jupiter into one and move in Zeosynchronous orbit?

Okay, good then. But what on Earth is a zeosynchronous orbit?

Odd cosmic coincidence, isn't it, that I started this thread just before Sedna was discovered? It looks like Pluto's status as a planet is now more hazy than ever, who knows what the IAU will decide? Is Ceres a planet? Perhaps that's just as valid a question.

Now, if only I could find that 2004 predictions thread... :hm:

SpaceNut · 2005-05-09 11:49:14

Well I am still undicided but to some the question is not possible until we can send the new horizon probe for a closure inspection.
New spin on Pluto

Orbiting recent findings is the question:
Is it a planet? Or (gasp) only a comet?

Article includes Hubble photo of Pluto and moon charon.

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2004-02-13 17:41:20

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#2 2004-02-13 21:55:18

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#3 2004-02-14 22:30:33

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#4 2004-02-15 13:07:30

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#5 2004-02-17 13:07:45

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#6 2004-02-17 14:25:19

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#7 2004-02-17 16:13:21

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#8 2004-02-19 09:33:30

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#9 2004-02-19 16:34:50

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#10 2004-02-20 12:25:26

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#11 2004-02-21 06:13:22

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#12 2004-07-30 17:34:25

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

#13 2005-05-09 11:49:14

Re: Is Pluto a Planet? - You Be the Judge.

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