Pluto the only world whose moon doesn't orbit around it!
- Thread starter Hopeless
- Start date
Technically earths Moon doesn't orbit it..The moon and earth orbit a common point which is not the center of the earths mass... Just saying 
The planets strange orbit is enough of a curiosity to go and have a look...and yes I did say planet...it was a planet when I was in school, no good astronomers and their piddly details....It would be nice to know if it is a rouge moon, or if it even belongs in this system having started out orbiting halfway to the next star and got knocked/tugged into a closer orbit.
Just getting a probe out to Pluto with enough gear on board to be useful is an achievement. It's a very long cold dark trip out to Pluto, and deep system probes have a terrible track record. Most break down, loose communications, or simply go Poof and are gone.
The planets strange orbit is enough of a curiosity to go and have a look...and yes I did say planet...it was a planet when I was in school, no good astronomers and their piddly details....It would be nice to know if it is a rouge moon, or if it even belongs in this system having started out orbiting halfway to the next star and got knocked/tugged into a closer orbit.
Just getting a probe out to Pluto with enough gear on board to be useful is an achievement. It's a very long cold dark trip out to Pluto, and deep system probes have a terrible track record. Most break down, loose communications, or simply go Poof and are gone.
Rikki Tikki Traveller
Cosmic Mongoose
The centerpoint of the Earth-Moon system is still inside the Earth's crust, so it is still reasonable to say that the Moon orbits the Earth. Not the same with Pluto-Charon, the epicenter is above the surface of Pluto, so they both orbit a central point.
Pluto is not a planet - get over it ( ). When Juno was first discovered, it was also classified as a planet for about 20 years. Then they found the rest of the Asteroid Belt, and it was appropriately reclassified. Same with Pluto; it is a large Kuiper Belt object, but not a planet. This from guy who had Pluto as a planet for 40+ years of his life. Science advances, we move on.
Pluto is not a planet - get over it (
). When Juno was first discovered, it was also classified as a planet for about 20 years. Then they found the rest of the Asteroid Belt, and it was appropriately reclassified. Same with Pluto; it is a large Kuiper Belt object, but not a planet. This from guy who had Pluto as a planet for 40+ years of his life. Science advances, we move on.Rikki Tikki Traveller said:The centerpoint of the Earth-Moon system is still inside the Earth's crust, so it is still reasonable to say that the Moon orbits the Earth. Not the same with Pluto-Charon, the epicenter is above the surface of Pluto, so they both orbit a central point.
Pluto is not a planet - get over it (
Point conceded.....
And Dont confuse me with scientific facts....I wanna call it a planet
Oh I know the reasoning and its sound enough. I do bow to the experts I just make the odd comment for humor mostly.
Pluto is definitely an odd fish, it is definitely worth the effort to send the probe..And I cant wait to see more pics from the umm Kuiper Object, Dwarf planet...what ever they call it. I'd love it if one day they could put a lander down, see what it's made of..might be a real clue to it's origin, and how outer system objects play into the big picture....
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
I drive a subcompact now. I don't like the new car terms used.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Bugs, or Vilani.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
alex_greene
Guest
Fun fact for you. Less than 4% of the IAU attending in 2006 voted for Pluto to be demoted. 96% of astronomers - 96% of the vested scientific community - had no say in this, and still consider Pluto to be a planet.wbnc said:
Imagine if 4% of the chemistry committee voted to reclassify sulphur and strip it of its status as an element in the Periodic Table. Science is not decided by a vote - least of all a vote approved by 4% of interested parties who should never have been allowed to vote this stupid bad science bill at all.
alex_greene
Guest
And in other news of bad science, pizza is a vegetable and pi is exactly three.Mithras said:
A planet. Not a dwarf planet, but a planet.Mithras said:
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Seriously, Pluto is the Dog Star.
alex_greene
Guest
What, the fact that it's unexplored to the point where nobody even knew what it looked like till this last month is likely to be a factor in people's interest in it.
That, and that it's the very last unexplored place in our solar system, and one of the oldest, coldest and darkest places to which we will ever go inside the heliopause till we invent Jump drives and go exploring the Kuiper Belt in manned ships.
That, and that it's the very last unexplored place in our solar system, and one of the oldest, coldest and darkest places to which we will ever go inside the heliopause till we invent Jump drives and go exploring the Kuiper Belt in manned ships.
Tom Kalbfus
Mongoose
No that's Sirius!Condottiere said:
Tom Kalbfus
Mongoose
Best not to confuse fictional technology with reality.alex_greene said:
