Redefining Our Solar System, part 2

So, now onto the original material I intended to discuss. As I mentioned, about a week ago I heard on Coast to Coast AM a story regarding what we classify as a planet. The story stated that a new classification that scientists proposed would increase the number of objects in this solar system to 12. So much for the age old "Mr. Vampire Eats My Juicy Steak Using No Pepper" mnemonic that I grew up using ot remember the names of the planets, or any of the other fun little phrases people used.

This new classification would settle once and for all the debate of regarding Pluto as a planet or not. It would also classify the large asteroid Ceres, Pluto's twin (or moon, depending on what you call it) Charon, and another object which is currently called UB313. To be truthful, I think it deserves a name change. These three objects form what we will classify as the new 10th, 11th, and 12th planets of our solar system.

The new classification, however, creates a classification of two types of planets. The first 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) would make up what we know as the classical planets, and Ceres would be part of a new group called dwarf planets. The remaining three, Pluto, Charon, and UB313 make up the third new group called plutons. Hmm, wonder where that name came from.

The issue of planet classification has been a long, controversial one. The committee at this General Assembly of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) finally agreed on a proposal of what to deem a planet: that is, any body orbiting a star, thats neither a star nor a satellite of another planet, and is pulled into rounded shape by its own gravity.

I think this committees proposal is interesting, but represents a fundamental problem in astronomy. There are so many objects in the Solar System and we desparately try to classify them all. Our misunderstanding of what to call a planet and what not to call a planet is just one of many problems of trying to classify everything in space. If we continue to discover new objects, in our own solar system and beyond, will we eventually be challenged again on what we call a planet, based on this new proposal? What about calling a planet any object that has, does, or has the potential of hosting life? The question remains what we will call objects that don't support life? Oh well.

Regardless, I can come to enjoy the fact we live in a solar system of 12 planets. The more, the merrier.

Source:
New Solar System? Twelve planets and counting by ScienceNews.org