tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216738179263317509.post1152515820273133254..comments2024-01-08T00:25:24.777-08:00Comments on Philosophy of Science Portal: The IAU will have a problem now...asteroid or dwarf planet--VESTAMercuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13757909461674304095noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216738179263317509.post-65347577134536226432011-12-13T09:23:29.809-08:002011-12-13T09:23:29.809-08:00I dispute the notion that the classification of Ve...I dispute the notion that the classification of Vesta or of any other celestial body is "up to the International Astronomical Union." First, the majority of IAU members are not plantetary scientists but other types of astronomers. Wouldn't it make more sense for such decisions to be made specifically by those who study planets professionally? Second, the IAU has still not instituted electronic voting, meaning anyone who cannot attend the General Assembly, which will be in Beijing in 2012, cannot vote at all. Additionally, given all the discoveries we are making, it is clear we are just beginning to learn about these smaller bodies--not to mention we're just beginning to learn about exoplanets and haven't even begun to discover the smaller ones. This means we do not need a "final" or narrow definition of planet, dwarf planet, etc. set in stone; much more appropriate is an open-ended concept that recognizes the huge spectrum of objects ranging from tiny asteroids and comets to brown dwarfs and also recognizes we are only beginning to really understand these objects. It makes no sense to draw an arbitrary line and say, these are planets; these are not when such arbitrary lines run counter to the reality of what is out there. Most ridiculous is the notion that dwarf planets are not planets at all, which the IAU has continued to refuse to address since 2006.<br /><br />Why not consider a planetary classification scheme similar to the Herzsprung Russell Diagram used for stars, which encompasses a wide variety of types, luminosities, ages, etc. while recognizing that all these diverse objects fall under the broad category of "star?"Laurel Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02387883186244337619noreply@blogger.com