Today's menu: Planets in salsa
2006/08/24 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa
Today they decide what a planet is in Prague and decide what they decide, our solar system will never be the same. What in our solar system are nine planets? Forget that, it will hardly remain so. And there are two main options: one, having three new planets (Ceres, Charon and 2003 UB313) and, therefore, recognizing that in our solar system there are twelve planets, and another, that Pluto ceases to be a planet to stay with eight planets.
Of course, this issue has raised powders. It is not a new debate, but it seems that a decision must be made. And that decision, according to all appearances, will come today: the International Union of Astronomers (UAE), at the conference in Prague, will vote to make the decision today.
It depends on the thousands of astronomers gathered at the congress, so from now on decide how many planets are in our solar system. For this the essence is in the definition of planet. And in the middle of the Pluto problem. The truth is that the EAE constituted a working group to propose a definition that supports the planetary character of Pluto, and that, inevitably, the other three celestial bodies become planets. However, much of the community of astronomers does not believe that Pluto is a planet and believe that it would have to be given another name (so far the term nano ice cream has been used, but they may call it pluto).
A fairly large sauce, which is around the planets. To see if they explain what a planet is as soon as possible. However, it is clear that the decision, whatever it may be, will not leave all astronomers at ease.
Photo: International Astronomers Union / Martin Kornmesser.
