PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- 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.
After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.
1.NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured Pluto and its moon Charon in this image.
2.The International Astronomical Union decided Thursday to demote Pluto -- the solar system now has 8 planets.
Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell -- a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings -- urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.
"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.
The decision by the prestigious international group spells out the basic tests that celestial objects will have to meet before they can be considered for admission to the elite cosmic club.
For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."
Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit the sun -- "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites.
It was unclear how Pluto's demotion might affect the mission of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which earlier this year began a 9 1/2-year journey to the oddball object to unearth more of its secrets.
The decision at a conference of 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries was a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when the group's leaders floated a proposal that would have reaffirmed Pluto's planetary status and made planets of its largest moon and two other objects.
That plan proved highly unpopular, splitting astronomers into factions and triggering days of sometimes combative debate that led to Pluto's undoing.
Now, two of the objects that at one point were cruising toward possible full-fledged planethood will join Pluto as dwarfs: the asteroid Ceres, which was a planet in the 1800s before it got demoted, and 2003 UB313, an icy object slightly larger than Pluto whose discoverer, Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, has nicknamed "Xena."
Charon, the largest of Pluto's three moons, is no longer under consideration for any special designation.
Brown was pleased by the decision. He had argued that Pluto and similar bodies didn't deserve planet status, saying that would "take the magic out of the solar system."
shame real shame i love pluto , my fav planet i wish one day we could visit thier some how i know its really cold minus 270 and so on but its just not ... right to take out little pluto why not BIG UGLY Venus lol with its red spot lol
My Heart Is Red My Mind Is Black!!!Against The World I Will Lead The Rossoneri In Attack !!! Forza MiLan ...
shame real shame i love pluto , my fav planet i wish one day we could visit thier some how i know its really cold minus 270 and so on but its just not ... right to take out little pluto why not BIG UGLY Venus lol with its red spot lol
It's Jupiter that has the big ugly red blemish. Venus is the most Beautiful of the planets. Often seen as the Morning Star or the Evening star.
Pluto never was a Planet, it was a misguided comet that got lost and disguised itself as a planet. Near sighted Percy Lowell using a toy telescope with a spot on it, misnamed it so that he could have a planet named after himself. Don't believe that mythological junk about how Pluto got it's name.
hmmm sad i aint memorising the planet porders again with pluto .. hey hey dont diss the planets ppl bug ugly venus n jupiter lolz tis allah [swt] creation there
ma'salamah
سلامة الإنسان في حلاوة اللسان
The safety of a human is in the sweetness of his tongue.
بسم الله الذي لا يضرّ مع اسمه شيءٌ في الأرضِ و لا في السّماءِ و هو السّميعُ العليم
What does Islam say about the Existence of The outer space and all!!??
We only know for certain that there are things in the universe we will never know or understand. We do know Man, Jinns and Angels exist, no reason there can't be other things.
I can not find anything to specificaly indicate there is life elswhere. But, neither can I find anything that would rule it out.
We only know for certain that there are things in the universe we will never know or understand. We do know Man, Jinns and Angels exist, no reason there can't be other things.
I can not find anything to specificaly indicate there is life elswhere. But, neither can I find anything that would rule it out.
JazaakAllahu khayr..same here!!
You doubt the existence of space?
Well I dont doubt the seven heaven if you call that space..but the planets and all, seem a lil' Phoney to me...
what makes you believe in it's existence (if you do) ?
Well I dont doubt the seven heaven if you call that space..but the planets and all, seem a lil' Phoney to me...
what makes you believe in it's existence (if you do) ?
I'm fairly certain there is a light out in space that we call the sun That is out in Space. I am reasonably certain the moon is out there too. I know I haven't actually personaly touched it. But, every now and then at night I see ssomething that people have told me is the moon. I suspect it exists. I know that there are dots of light way far away and that the Qur'an called them stars. I believe they exist. It seems that with a little simple triangulation we can verify that they are very far off. That seems to indicate outer space exists. It keeps the stars far enough away so we don't bump into them.
Just the Sun, Moon & Stars... I Dunno much about astronomy though, and that might be why..
But I just want to know what the Ulamaah and all say about it...
try asking bro Fi_Sabilillah he may be able to get something on it... i'm sure there's that hadith about the sun postrating to Allah [swt] after setting...etc... ban me why? i aint done nothing alpha just pointing the obvious
ma'salamah
سلامة الإنسان في حلاوة اللسان
The safety of a human is in the sweetness of his tongue.
بسم الله الذي لا يضرّ مع اسمه شيءٌ في الأرضِ و لا في السّماءِ و هو السّميعُ العليم
wonder if theyre still searching for aliens :rolleyes: yeah there's also that famous story about Neil Armstrong n his conversion... [Allahu A3alam i herd so many sides to it dunno which ones rite]
surah kahf yupz i had sheikh shuraim reciting it in my head
ma'salamah
سلامة الإنسان في حلاوة اللسان
The safety of a human is in the sweetness of his tongue.
بسم الله الذي لا يضرّ مع اسمه شيءٌ في الأرضِ و لا في السّماءِ و هو السّميعُ العليم
I'm fairly certain there is a light out in space that we call the sun That is out in Space. I am reasonably certain the moon is out there too. I know I haven't actually personaly touched it. But, every now and then at night I see ssomething that people have told me is the moon. I suspect it exists. I know that there are dots of light way far away and that the Qur'an called them stars. I believe they exist. It seems that with a little simple triangulation we can verify that they are very far off. That seems to indicate outer space exists. It keeps the stars far enough away so we don't bump into them.
As salaaum alaykum,
lol...I do belive in that big round thing that comes out at night ..and those sparkly things too...
it's just the planets... mars,jupiter, neptune...etc!!
cos we've seen 'em lol...
In pictures and all, is that what you mean??
How about man going to the moon...you guys agree with that too? :X
PS: I neither agree or disagree..don't bombard me please!?
Just the Sun, Moon & Stars... I Dunno much about astronomy though, and that might be why..
But I just want to know what the Ulamaah and all say about it...
The early Arabs actually developed the early science of Astronomy, they were familiar with at least the visible planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They described them and their relationships in space very well. They also named the majority of the Stars. so it is fairly safe to say that The Early Scholars were aware of outer space.
I think the fact that the Qur'an says so little, is actually an acknowledgement of the matter in outer space being common knowledge and in no need of further proof.
Just as we can not find any reference on how to start a fire, the people knew how, there was no need to elaborate further.
I believe we can accept the findings of astronomers, unless we see something that violates the words of the Qur'an.
man ging on moon well like i said bout Neil Armstong i herd he converted because when he stepped on the moon he actually herd the azaan and when he came back to earth [lol] erm he herd it again he did sum research became muslim NASA thought he was crazy n mental n i think sakd him, but i dunno if this really happened or not... okay man stepping on moon what about when the Prophet [saw] split the moon?
mercury venus etc etc who gave them these name btw?
ma'salamah
سلامة الإنسان في حلاوة اللسان
The safety of a human is in the sweetness of his tongue.
بسم الله الذي لا يضرّ مع اسمه شيءٌ في الأرضِ و لا في السّماءِ و هو السّميعُ العليم
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miskeen (poor guy).
right to take out little pluto why not BIG UGLY Venus lol with its red spot lol
shame real shame i love pluto , my fav planet i wish one day we could visit thier some how i know its really cold minus 270 and so on but its just not ...
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lol
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