Planet X

[fluffymark]

The claimed discovery of planet X both pleases me and enrages me. While I happily applaud the discovery of a new sizable object in the outer solar system, I'm enraged that anyone has the arrogance to insist it's a planet. Irrespective or not as to if it turns out to be larger or smaller than Pluto - Pluto really shouldn't be a planet either, although nobody realised this at the time of Pluto's discovery. Every few years, someone hails a new small lump of rock to be 'Planet X' - I'm not saying it isn't out there (theres good reasons to believe that there is planet X, in fact), but that none of these little lumps of rock are it.

What is a planet? It's a very difficult question to answer, and was in fact the title to the first section of the first chapter of my PhD thesis. There is no well defined cut-off between large asteroids and small planets. The formation process for both small planets and asteroids is exactly the same, as are the physical characteristics. As things stand, Pluto is arbitarily classed as a planet, with thousands of other objects in the Kuiper Belt with similar orbits and only slightly smaller masses are not planets, which is absurd. If this new object were to be classed as a planet, where do we stop? We'd end up with thousands of 'planets' in our solar system, but most of these would be small lumps of rock that have much more in common with asteroids than a proper planet like the Earth. Pluto itself is more asteroid-like than planet-like, and the indications are that this new 'Planet X' is no different.

But, just in case some idiots decide this is in fact a planet, which greek god should it be named after? I'm all for a planet named Dionysus! Or maybe a goddess for a change?

I got up at some ungodly hour this morning, to join the line of people waiting outside the Russian Consulate. Can someone explain to me why embassies have really stupid opening hours? Grrrrr. Anyway, they seemed quicker and friendlier than last time I was there, and I was finished by 9:30. And there was not a single picture of the much worshipped Mr Putin anywhere. One step closer to going to Russia, now...

Comments

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Planets are named for Roman gods.
Otherwise, they'd be Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Zeus, Kronos, (drat. can't remember), Poseidon, and Hades :)

[fluffymark]

Good point, yes. I frequently get the two lots confused!

Bacchus then, not Dionysus. ;)

It's just I prefer the name Dionysus to Bacchus - it sounds better.

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

It does, indeed :)

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

Uranus is Greek, isn't he? The name is, at any rate.

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

There was a chunk of my brain thinking that, yes.

[robert-jones.livejournal.com]

I believe so. He was adopted into the Roman pantheon, and his name has been latinised to end in -us rather than -os.

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

ERIS... of course. All hail ERIS.

by the way do you think I should get ordained, I might be able to do Discordian Weddings.

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

I was going to say it would have to be Discordia, because the others are all named after Roman gods, but I suppose it would be just like her to be awkward.

Proserpina's a nice name (though again I prefer the Greek Persephone). Faunus would be pretty too.

I think there's already an asteroid called Dionysus.

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

According to the Evening Standard (which admitedly is not the most reliable of sources) the new "planet" is called Sedna.
A quick Google suggests that Sedna is the Inuit Goddess of the Sea (http://www.hvgb.net/~sedna/story.html).

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

Or reading lhiss's post on the subject. What's wrong with a Inuit goddess they have Greek and Roman already.

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with a Inuit goddess they have Greek and Roman already.
Erm, at which point in the above did I imply I thought it was a bad thing?

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

It was the article saying they might have to change it because it did not fit in with the rest of them.. I don't have a problem with it, except there is already a planet named after a god of the sea.

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Personally I am of the view that the Kuiper Belt is the remains of Planet X. So this new discovery is no more a planet than any other chunk floating in the belt.

However astronomy is another of those areas where I have enough knowledge to discuss it but not enough to debate in depth with someone who has had formal teaching in that area, so I shan't delve into this one - I suspect I would rapidly end up over my head.

A bit like discussing relativity with Kitty. Though that didn't stop me last time....

Sorry, brane still broken.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I must admit, I went *groan* when I saw that news item. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not an astronomer.

Just went to the bank and bought nice shiny Euros. Off to Paris on Thursday. Yaay. Haven't finished the paper yet. Not-yaay. Haven't even started the slides yet. Definitely not yaay. Ho hum. It'll all be over by Friday afternoon, then comes a weekend of bodding around Paris...

Which brings to mind a question: I've not been there before -- I'm sure more than a few people in here must have done the Paris touristing thing, so any tips for what to go and see? I'll have Saturday and Sunday, but my arthritis isn't great at the moment so things that need a moderate amount of walking (on the flat!) will be OK, but too much walking will be, well, too much walking. :)

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

In Paris I would highly recommend Musee Du Cluny (http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/homes/home_id20392_u1l2.htm)! Its my favourite and you can see the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries in their full glory!!!
We have a couple of Paris guidebooks we can post to you if that would be a help?

Parisssssssssss!!!!!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a Paris lover and therefore well jealous. This probably isn't the place to say all this but I don't know your e-mail and I can't comment on your journal so here goes...

Paris is utterly fab and just being there and swanning around and sitting in bars and stuff can make you feel cool. So if you're knackered don't bust a gut to do the tourist stuff, just head towards somewhere that sounds interesting (the Marais and the Latin Quarter are good) and pootle.

Lots of the tourist stuff is overrated. The Louvre and the Pompidou have long queues and high entrance fees. Montmartre is full of tat (and you can see Sacre Coeur from miles away you don't have to go up there). The Eiffel Tower is pretty but you don't need to go up. You can see it sparkle every hour on the hour from dawn till dusk. Good views can be had for free from the top of the dept store La Samaritaine (there is a lift).

Eat ice-cream at Maison Berthillon. Truly the best ice-cream in Europe (we had ice cream at the place meant to sell the best stuff in Rome and it didn't come close). THere is a dedicated parlour on the Ile de Ste Louis go here for details...www.berthillon-glacier.fr. If it's closed (it closes for the whole of August and in Feb when the owners go skiing) there are lots of places nearby that sell the stuff.

Parc Andre Citroen was designed by landscape gardeners Provost and Clement. It's a modernist interpretation of the formal gardens at Versaille and really stunningly beautiful, possibly even better in winter than summer when all the flowers are out. It's a shame you don't feel like walking too much, it's about 5 mins walk from the Javel Metro station, but it isn't very big and when you get there there are lots of benches. A good place to go for a picnic (we picnicked on wine there in December).

Markets are always fun and good. My favourite is the one on the Place Monge but there are loads dotted around the city.

Other cool things include...
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
The kinetic sculpts in the pond next to the Pompidou Centre
Eating falafels on the Rue des Rosiers
Musee Maillol (if you like your sculpts of hefty naked women) see www.museemaillol.com
Parc des Villettes (but it would take up the whole day) www.villette.com

If you're only there for the weekend it may not be worth buying a guidebook. If you do then the Time Out one is good.
Oh so jealous. Any spare room in your suitcase?

Penny (of Penny and Joe)

[smhwpf.livejournal.com]

If There is no well defined cut-off between large asteroids and small planets. , then is the question of what is or isn't a planet a matter of 'narrative' rather than objective classification? That is, Pluto has, for whatever reason, been accepted into our Solar System's 'Pantheon' - and whether Sedna is as well remains to be seen. Or does Ch. 1 S. 1 lead to some actual objective means, albeit quite subtle or complex, of deciding what is and isn't a planet?

Sorry to be all arsey and social sciencey. It is not usually in my nature.

[rosie-rhi-bee.livejournal.com]

I wondered why the discovery of the new planet came at the end of the headlines rather than the beginning.

[791-43.livejournal.com]

Yes, but more importantly, what does any of this mean for my horoscope? Huh? Huh???

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

Actually, a few years ago there was a large debate on the matter and it was decided that Pluto is not a planet. Neither will this new object be a planet. They still haven't come up with an official definition for planet, though. One of the front runners seems to be 'has a permanent atmosphere', which definitely cuts Pluto out.

[fluffymark]

I know theres been big debates on it, and that definition appears to me the most sensible, and the least arbitary. I believe the IAU still officially classes Pluto as a planet, although they say if it had been discovered today would not have been one. Recent events are causing this to be reexamined yet again. Personally, I'd be happier to see Pluto crossed off the planet list.