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| Full 'Planet' Rising (Photo by Jessie Eastland) |
The “Big Nine” may soon welcome 100-plus relatives. The
definition of “planet” seems to be expanding way faster than the universe itself. It
used to be that a planet had to “orbit around the sun,” as well as clear “the neighborhood around its orbit.” Pluto was then demoted to dwarf status because its neighborhood was a bit too crowded.
Soon, “planet” could simply mean “a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion.” This body should “possess enough gravitational pull to maintain a spherical shape.” Our own moon would meet that new criteria, along with 100 other solar-system “pals.” Pluto, as well as its moon Europa, would be in that revised mix.
Resources
https://thespacereporter.com/2017/03/solar-system-100-planets-new-criteria/
Copyright March 20, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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