GIP

[firecat]

via pleonastic

I used to play with astrology and Pluto was the planet for Scorpios, which I am. Although I don't really play with astrology any more, I am finding myself highly irritated that they stole MY planet!

Comments

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I dunno... this means that instead of having a planet, you have a dwarf planet! That's pretty cool. I think I'd rather have a dwarf planet.

[firecat]

That's because you're a Capricorn.

(d&r)

[selki.livejournal.com]

I would be much happier if they called it a dwarf planetOID or something like that, than a dwarf planet. If it's a dwarf PLANET, it's a planet. Sloppy ontology!

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

And? It's totally earth-centric. I mean, come on! If we're defining planets by *size*, then it's obvious that there are only 4. Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. Everything else is too piddly to count.

[selki.livejournal.com]

It's pretty inconsistent, how they're defining planets. Not just by size, also by whether they've cleared their orbits (of clutter?), and Pluto apparently infringes on Neptune's orbit (I'm not sure if that means they'll eventually collide); I guess Neptune is called a planet and Pluto not, because of, yes, size. There appears to be a lot of controversy in astronomy-land over this vote, from the bits I've read.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

Scott Westerfield has an excellent diagram explaining the Pluto inconsistent orbit issue. Cf., http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=161 for "Why Pluto is not like the others". And http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=162 for "Why letting Pluto in is a bad idea".

Of course, I happen to think his diagram supports my "there are only 4 planets" theory. Cf., "By the way, that red splodge in the middle is the four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.", in the first URL.

[selki.livejournal.com]

Those are two fun essays, thanks!

[selki.livejournal.com]

BTW do you follow Bruce Schneier's blog? His latest entry points to ...

Piglet squid!
http://www.cabrilloaq.org/piglet.html
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/07/12/cute-piglet-squid/

[firecat]

SQUEE! (I'll impatiently wait to see whether Piglet creates LJ icons out of it before I do so.)

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

D'oh! I never even thought of that!

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

I do not. Thank you! Those were adorable. (I like the second one better, 'cause the squid lived.)

[selki.livejournal.com]

Glad you (and firecat) liked them ... Good point!

[dbubley.livejournal.com]

Well, you've still got Mars. Pluto has only been a planet for 76 years. Mars, on the other hand, you've had for centuries. You just have to share it with Aries. So now you're in a polyplanet relationship.

[firecat]

[*hugs Pluto possessively*]

[technomom]

They can't take Pluto. If we listened to those silly astronomers they'd get us all KINDS of confused. Why start now?

[firecat]

Good point...