Comments on: In the House, Pluto is a still a planet http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/ Because sometimes the most important orbit is the Beltway... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert Pearlman http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-19210 Robert Pearlman Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:35:42 +0000 http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/#comment-19210 <blockquote><i>The bill is a bit confusing, since it lumps Pluto with "other dwarf planets" (which, confusingly, aren’t planets in the eyes of IAU), but then goes on to specifically mention "the planet Pluto"</i></blockquote> Of course, this is a result of text being carried forth from the previous version of this bill, which was passed by the House in 2005 (but originally dates back to 2004 and has been introduced in either the House and/or Senate each year since), which predates the IAU's Pluto decision. It seems the current authors added "other dwarf planets" in recognition (and support?) of the IAU's position. The 2007 version of this bill has a <a href="http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-080407a.html" rel="nofollow">few other changes</a> from years past: omitted are the inscription of the missions and dates of the fallen astronauts along the gold coin's edge and the "symbolic inclusion" of flown metal from the combined spacecraft holdings of NASA, JPL, the Department of Defense and the Smithsonian, which all prior versions of this bill specified for the Mint.

The bill is a bit confusing, since it lumps Pluto with “other dwarf planets” (which, confusingly, aren’t planets in the eyes of IAU), but then goes on to specifically mention “the planet Pluto”

Of course, this is a result of text being carried forth from the previous version of this bill, which was passed by the House in 2005 (but originally dates back to 2004 and has been introduced in either the House and/or Senate each year since), which predates the IAU’s Pluto decision. It seems the current authors added “other dwarf planets” in recognition (and support?) of the IAU’s position.

The 2007 version of this bill has a few other changes from years past: omitted are the inscription of the missions and dates of the fallen astronauts along the gold coin’s edge and the “symbolic inclusion” of flown metal from the combined spacecraft holdings of NASA, JPL, the Department of Defense and the Smithsonian, which all prior versions of this bill specified for the Mint.

]]> By: Brian Swiderski http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-19123 Brian Swiderski Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:01:52 +0000 http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/#comment-19123 Yeah, hooray for 134340! People should name their children after it. Err, actually I'm glad it got whacked. Irrational classification of celestial objects is clearly prohibited in the Bible. But if they're giving a coin to dwarf planets, won't the non-spheroidal object communities feel discriminated against? I think carbonaceous chondritic Trojans deserve their own coin--they've suffered enough without being slighted by the planetary ruling elite. And what about all the dust out there? All that nameless, helpless dust ignored by the powers that be and harassed by The Man. There should be a coin specifically for dust. Yeah, hooray for 134340! People should name their children after it. Err, actually I’m glad it got whacked. Irrational classification of celestial objects is clearly prohibited in the Bible. But if they’re giving a coin to dwarf planets, won’t the non-spheroidal object communities feel discriminated against? I think carbonaceous chondritic Trojans deserve their own coin–they’ve suffered enough without being slighted by the planetary ruling elite. And what about all the dust out there? All that nameless, helpless dust ignored by the powers that be and harassed by The Man. There should be a coin specifically for dust.

]]> By: Sam Dinkin http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/comment-page-1/#comment-19069 Sam Dinkin Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:36:12 +0000 http://www.spacepolitics.com/2007/08/03/in-the-house-pluto-is-a-still-a-planet/#comment-19069 Two cheers for Pluto which gets its own coin side even if it has to share billing for the name of the coin with the band. Two cheers for Pluto which gets its own coin side even if it has to share billing for the name of the coin with the band.

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