In summary: BILLION years.In summary, the International Astronomical Union is about to decide the Solar System has 12 planets. Ceres, the first and largest asteroid discovered, becomes the solar system's smallest planet.
#36
yenchin
544
3
Line said:
How could there be 12 when they just announced Pluto isn't a planet?
They initially proposed 12 planets, the proposal is then rejected and ended up with demoting pluto instead.
I'm happy with everything the IAU has done, except "dwarf planets." While Pluto was a planet it had "double status" as a planet and a Kuiper belt object; now it's simply a "dwarf planet" and nothing else. Pluto and Eris (Xena) are clearly just very big Kuiper belt objects, and while I'm happy with the dwarf-planet classification to make them special (Pluto and Eris are special because they're so large and rounded) I think they should also have dual status as dwarf planets and KBOs. They are clearly KBOs and should be recognised as such.
Ceres is an asteroid. Don't tell me it's not. OK, it's special, it deserves to be classed as a dwarf planet because it's large and round, yeah yeah. But... it's clearly an asteroid. Just a big one. How can you possibly say it isn't?
I'd be happy with 8 or 12 planets, as long as Pluto/Eris were recognised as KBOs as well as (dwarf) planets and Ceres was an asteroid as well as a (dwarf) planet.