"E pur si muove!"

[browngirl]

I 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.

Comments

[redbird]

I'm glad this scientific debate reminded me of them, however they're classified.

Well thought, and thanks for sharing that.

In the middle of all this, I poked around and learned a bit more about Vesta, which is large and interesting enough to have significant geology.

[vass]

"E pur si muove!"

That phrase always gives me shivers. As did your post.

[flabosib.livejournal.com]

Despite all the work my husband did to prove that Pluto has an atmosphere in 1989, he has always maintainted that Pluto is not a planet. I dunno--like you, I know its up there doing its own thing, no matter what we choose to classify it as.

We were listening to the NPR show, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and at the end of the show they asked for the panelists to come up with a new mnemonic for the eight remaining planets. The best of the bunch was definitely, "My Volkswagon Emits Mick Jagger Songs Until Noon."

I guess this decision means all the schools will need new science textbooks--I think my daughter actually has a science class this year, I can't wait to see what they're going to try and teach her!