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8/21/2009

Friday Haiku - Pluto

Haiku Friday

Pluto demoted,
an icy Kuiper body,
but not a planet.

But now they don't know,
what a planet really is,
how small or how large.

I don't really care
'bout stupid definitions,
Planet, Pluto is.


Ndinombethe.

21 comments:

Shadow said...

pluto will always be a planet to me! oh, and a cute brown dog with black ears and tail...

Karen MEG said...

What? ?!! I am crushed :).
I'll always remember pacing my room when I was in grade 7, memorizing the solar system and all important details I needed to know for my astronomy test...and Pluto was always my favourite planet.

Great ku!

CaraBee said...

I agree with Shadow, I will always think of Pluto as a planet. Clearly those scientists have *size* issues.

moneythoughts said...

Why don't we send Rush Limbaugh there to find out?

Wait. What? said...

I am with you on this - Pluto is a planet!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

It's silly, really. Think of all of the teachers who are trying to figure out new mnemonic phrases for the planets, now!! No "pizzas" at the end? Ridiculous.

Joyce-Anne said...

To: Tracy-Just Another Mommy Blog-
The new nmeumonic device is "My very excited mother just served us nachos!"

Jientje said...

Is it me? Getting old(er)? When everything that was ...
turns out different today?

Sage Ravenwood said...

Definitions can't change what is. I agree Pluto has always been, what Pluto will be. (Hugs)Indigo

Laurel Kornfeld said...

Pluto most certainly is a planet. Only four percent of the International Astronomical Union voted on the controversial demotion, and most are not planetary scientists. Their decision was immediately opposed in a formal petition by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. You can find a copy of that petition here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/planetprotest/

You can also learn more about why Pluto is a planet and worldwide efforts to overturn the IAU decision at my Pluto Blog, http://laurele.livejournal.com

Laurel Kornfeld said...

Tracey: don't use that "new mnemonic" that leaves out Pluto. If you use the broader definition favored by Stern and like-minded scientists, that a planet is any non-self-luminous spheroidal body orbiting a star, our solar system has 13 planets and counting: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Kids are perfectly capable of understanding that this is the subject of an ongoing debate and that there is more than one legitimate point of view.

Patsy said...

Some things should not be tampered with --- our Solar System being one of them. Mighty little Pluto out there so far, you are an important part of my knowledge. NINE planets around our sun do go.

I wonder how many people our age don't realize that Pluto is no longer concidered a planet?

Ree said...

aw, poop. Shadow took my line.

Unknown said...

Shadow: To me, also.

Karen MEG: Thank you, Karen. My favorite, as well.

CaraBee: Assuming, of course, that they were men.

Moneythoughts: Because the Plutonians don't want him either.

Cat: Thank you, Cat. You rock.

Tracey: I think a later comment end with 'Nachos'.

Joyce-Anne: I think I meant "next comment".

Jientje: Nothing is as constant as change.

Indigo: Whatever it was and will be.

Laurel: I will sign that petition.

Patsy: I would imagine most are aware of the controversy.

Unknown said...

Ree: First come, first served.

Tara R. said...

If Pluto is a planet, what is Goofy?

Unknown said...

I wonder if Pluto can apply for food stamps now with the demotion and all.

I love science. One day things you thought were fact are no longer FACT. Eat eggs, don't eat eggs. We're headed for an ice age, we're headed for global warming.

Poor Pluto's feelings must certainly be hurt!

Laurel Kornfeld said...

LceeL, that particular petition was for professional astronomers (which I am not) and was circulated only for several days in 2006. However, there are online citizen petitions. I will search for them and get back to you with the links. There is also a hard copy petition to the International Astronomical Union, which I can email you as a Word attachment. If you want to sign or circulate that, you can and then either send it directly to the IAU or back to me (I have already sent two rounds of these to the IAU and will continue to send more).

Thank you for your support for Pluto's planet status. To the person who wondered whether people our age know if Pluto is no longer considered a planet--the most important thing to note is that it is only some astronomers who do not consider it a planet. Many still do consider it one, so a blanket statement that "Pluto is no longer considered a planet" is, thankfully, not true.

Loraine said...

LOL I heard about a science columnist at the Salt Lake Tribune who wrote an article from the point of view of the demoted Plutonians...

witchypoo said...

You can't just demote a planet after giving it qualities and stuff it rules and things. Bad call. I'm not buying it either.

Coal Miner's Granddaughter said...

A.Men. Brother. Pluto will always be a planet to me and mine.