a whole new universe

Illustration of Earth, Planets and Sun

I never thought it would happen in my lifetime, but last week, I read the most surprising and exciting news. the scientific community is thinking of adding three planets to our solar system.

"The universe really is expanding _ astronomers are proposing to rewrite the textbooks to say that our solar system has 12 planets rather than the nine memorized by generations of schoolchildren.

Much-maligned Pluto would remain a planet _ and its largest moon plus two other heavenly bodies would join Earth's neighborhood _ under a draft resolution to be formally presented Wednesday to the International Astronomical Union, the arbiter of what is and isn't a planet.

"Yes, Virginia, Pluto is a planet," quipped Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The proposal could change, however: Binzel and the other nearly 2,500 astronomers from 75 nations meeting in Prague to hammer out a universal definition of a planet will hold two brainstorming sessions before they vote on the resolution next week. But the draft comes from the IAU's executive committee, which only submits recommendations likely to get two-thirds approval from the group."

(Read full article here)

What does this mean? one thing, it would definitely affect our science curriculum content and that means, it would affect books, internet websites, encyclopedias, charts, etc. (read article on Adding Planets Means New Textbooks, Toys)

But nothing's definite yet. As of this moment, I think the IAU is still deliberating on the issue. And some astronomers are not too keen on this new definition of a planet. (read Michael Brown)

P.S.
One of the proposed additions is UB313, a planet discovered by Michael Brown, which he nicknamed Xena. UB313 kind of reminded me of the planet of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince", which was actually Asteroid B612. ;-)