I guess what bugs me most about the whole International Astronomical Union debate over “what’s a planet” and the current proposed plan that would expand the current number to twelve is not that it doesn’t make any sense (it does), but that it truly dates about three-quarters of the “classic” SF out there.
An endorsement by astronomers meeting in Prague would require school and university textbooks to be rewritten. The proposal recognises eight classical planets, three planets belonging to a new category called “plutons” and the largest asteroid Ceres. Pluto remains a planet, but becomes the basis for the new pluton category.
The plan has been drawn up by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) with the aim of settling the question of what does and does not count as a planet. Some 2,500 astronomers gathered at the IAU General Assembly in Prague will vote on the plan next Thursday.
While there are plenty of folks who have proposed a definition that would have tossed out Pluto, that evidently has very very unpopular.
(via Warren Ellis)
I’m for letting Ceres in and booting Pluto-Charon, and the rest of the Kuiper Belt riffraff out. Though the idea of Planets Xena and Buffy does tickle me a bit.