by Playfuls Staff |
15th August 2006
Asteroid experts at an international astronomy conference Tuesday were rooting for Pluto as a debate began over whether the icy world should be scratched from the official list of planets. [more]
A spokesman for the International Astronomical Union (IAU) assembly under way in Prague said the debate revolves around a proposal to redefine the term "planet."
Some scientists favour a definition based on roundness and orbit that could demote Pluto's status to "dwarf planet," or less.
Asteroid expert Tom Gehrels of the University of Arizona was leading a campaign to preserve Pluto's status as the ninth planet in the solar system, or alternately to assign it dual honour as planet and asteroid.
Pluto has been called a planet since its discovery in 1930. But its status was called into question when astronomers last year announced the discovery of a brighter, similar-sized body beyond Pluto but still orbiting the sun, called Xena.
In addition to sealing Pluto's fate, the debate over the term "planet" could determine whether Xena wins official designation as the 10th planet.
Gehrels, writing in the conference's daily newsletter, said his proposal is "to stay with the 75 years of popularity considering Pluto the ninth... and to adopt Xena as the 10th planet."
He said the proposal comes from "the people who are doing the observing and discovering" including asteroid-watchers.
Gehrels also offered an alternative proposal to assign Pluto and any new bodies a dual status as planet as well as asteroid or comet. Xena is already classified as an asteroid.
Three days of discussion among scientists was expected to conclude with a vote at the conference next week, said IAU spokesman Lars Nielsen.
© 2006 DPA
