What exactly is a dwarf judge, anyway?
Here is how it shakes out:
A political appointee
Unconcerned about time
Who is result, rather than law orientated
***
In other news today (8/24/06), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), approved a definition that gives our solar system eight planets, instead of the nine most of us grew up memorizing.
The IAU demoted the celestial object formerly known as "Planet Pluto" to "Dwarf Planet Pluto."
In a "Honey, I Shrunk The Solar System" email, the Jet Populsion laboratory reported:
The International Astronomical Union has decided that, to be called a planet, an object must have three traits. It must orbit the sun, be massive enough that its own gravity pulls it into a nearly round shape, and be dominant enough to clear away objects in its neighborhood.The IAU website is linked here.
To be admitted to the dwarf planet category, an object must have only two of those traits -- it must orbit the sun and have a nearly round shape. And no, moons don't count as dwarf planets. In addition to Pluto, Ceres and 2003 UB313, the astronomical union has a dozen potential "dwarf planets" on its watchlist.
1 comment:
You funny ... and creative!
Post a Comment