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"E pur si muove!"
Aug. 26th, 2006 04:59 amI kept meaning to write about the Pluto Controversy, but I keep getting sidetracked by all the wonders out there. Under Planetary (ooh, I love that word) Sciences in Wikipedia are subjects such as the new, firmer and more precise definition of a planet, dwarf planets (Teddywolf said 'hobbit planets', to make me giggle), hypothetical planets aka a page of SF plotbunnies, and the skies of other planets, which I babbled about here before. There's charts of planetish objects, beautiful conceptual art, animations.... I could get lost in an encyclopedia for hours.
And yes, I'm disappointed that Pluto's not a planet, that Ceres, Sedna and Vesta didn't make it in. But I like the concept of 'dwarf planets' (Tigerlily teased me about my affinity for small things) and what I love is the philosophy of science that nothing scientific is ever supposed to be so firmly set that further evidence cannot cause its replacement by a hypothesis that better fits more of the known data, a theory that is closer to accurate.
Besides, whatever we call them, Pluto and Charon are still dancing with each other across the sky as they have for thousands of millions of years, and despite religion and superstition and ignorance humanity has managed to know enough about the universe to know they're up there, still moving. On my way home tonight I looked up at the cloud-strewn sky, and thought of Pluto and Ceres and Xena and Vesta soaring beyond my sight, and smiled. I'm glad this scientific debate reminded me of them, however they're classified.
And yes, I'm disappointed that Pluto's not a planet, that Ceres, Sedna and Vesta didn't make it in. But I like the concept of 'dwarf planets' (Tigerlily teased me about my affinity for small things) and what I love is the philosophy of science that nothing scientific is ever supposed to be so firmly set that further evidence cannot cause its replacement by a hypothesis that better fits more of the known data, a theory that is closer to accurate.
Besides, whatever we call them, Pluto and Charon are still dancing with each other across the sky as they have for thousands of millions of years, and despite religion and superstition and ignorance humanity has managed to know enough about the universe to know they're up there, still moving. On my way home tonight I looked up at the cloud-strewn sky, and thought of Pluto and Ceres and Xena and Vesta soaring beyond my sight, and smiled. I'm glad this scientific debate reminded me of them, however they're classified.
