Loading...

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Hey, boys and girls, guess who's no longer a planet!

classic_wp_03_1024.jpg

"Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight... 'It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called "planet" under which the dwarf planets exist,' [specialist Jocelyn Bell Burnell] said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella."

Film at eleven.

posted by David L Alexander @ 8/24/2006 11:12:00 AM   2 comments links to this post

2 Comments:

At 8/24/2006 04:40:00 PM, Blogger Jack said...

Concerning Pluto bein' knocked out of contention @ being a planet in our humble solar system: How could astronomers say they are using "historic new guidelines?"

I always thought historic was something occurring in the past & that new meant an inception event?

Have I uncovered a yet unexplained oxymoron?

 
At 8/24/2006 05:57:00 PM, Blogger David L Alexander said...

Jack:

You may be confusing "historic" with "historical." The former simply refers to an occurance that makes history. A change in how we identify a planet in the solar system does precisely that.

 

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home