Poor Pluto's been demoted from Planetary status. :(
[snapback]30910[/snapback]
Well at least they are using "dwarf planet" and "small solar system bodies" instead of "planitoid". Fuck I hate that word, sounds like an extremely strong breath mint.
I'm surprised they didn't mention Sedna at all, maybe they are still trying to determine if it meets all the requirements.
Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's.
Uh... wouldn't that also disqualify Neptune?
Stupid astronomers, they may as well all be astrologers for all the sense they make.
-420
Uh... wouldn't that also disqualify Neptune?
-420
[snapback]30912[/snapback]
lol No. Pluto's orbit is the eccentric one. It's the one that overlaps Neptune. Neptune is in it's billions year old nearly circular orbit around the Sun. It does not overlap Pluto's.
It's about time Pluto is finally recognized officially as a planetoid. Though I believe the "Planet Definition" still needs some work. Though I was thinking, maybe it actually used to be a planet? Maybe we'll find out when the Nasa probe gets there. I'm no astrophysicist but what if Pluto and Charon used to be one whole planet with a near circular orbit. Perhaps a large body impacted with it and destroyed this planet. Over time the pieces reformed into the Pluto-Charon system we see today. Also the force of the impact changed the orbit into the wacky one of today. Like I said there may be a simple law of physics that says this is impossible, but I dunno the thought just occured to me and seems interesting :P
Like I said there may be a simple law of physics that says this is impossible, but I dunno the thought just occured to me and seems interesting
[snapback]30913[/snapback]
Well, I get all my scientific information from Red Dwarf. According to Dave "Cinzano Bianco" Lister you can use a nuclear explosive and play pool with planets in order to plug up White Holes. Compared to that, your theory sounds completely sane!
And now for TRIVIA TIME!!!!
Why was Lister given the nickname "Cinzano Bianco"?
-420
And now for TRIVIA TIME!!!!
Why was Lister given the nickname "Cinzano Bianco"?
-420
[snapback]30914[/snapback]
Once you got him on a pool table, you couldn't get him off. Props to wikipedia for all my wacky, 420-created trivia needs! *clicky* (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Lister#Personality)
-Elessar
Once you got him on a pool table, you couldn't get him off. Props to wikipedia for all my wacky, 420-created trivia needs! *clicky* (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Lister#Personality)
-Elessar
[snapback]30916[/snapback]
All this talk about Pluto, what about the Planet Rupert? (A more obscure bit of sci-fi trivia)
All this talk about Pluto, what about the Planet Rupert? (A more obscure bit of sci-fi trivia)
[snapback]30917[/snapback]
Rupert
A planet in Earth's solar system beyond the orbit of Pluto. Rupert was named Persephone, but nicknamed Rupert after "some astronomer's parrot." It was eventually settled by the grebulons.
Man Wikipedia makes life unfair hehehe
Owns all your trivia.
Man Wikipedia makes life unfair hehehe
Owns all your trivia.
[snapback]30918[/snapback]
Sounds suspiciously like something from one of the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy books.
-420
Maybe we should use this as a chance to test our planatary missels, you never know when terrorists will start attacking form outerspace! :o
[snapback]30926[/snapback]
It won't be terrorists, it will be the commies! China plans to land on the moon, then it will only be a matter of time before they construct an orbital sling-shot to toss moon rocks down on America!!!
So, you know what that means... we must blow up the moon!
-420
It won't be terrorists, it will be the commies! China plans to land on the moon, then it will only be a matter of time before they construct an orbital sling-shot to toss moon rocks down on America!!!
So, you know what that means... we must blow up the moon!
-420
[snapback]30930[/snapback]
Then we'd split the moon into three main chunks and all live in fear of the day one of the large moonchunks comes down and kills everyone in a very large impact zone. Sorry no thanks.
-Elessar
Then we'd split the moon into three main chunks and all live in fear of the day one of the large moonchunks comes down and kills everyone in a very large impact zone. Sorry no thanks.
-Elessar
[snapback]30933[/snapback]
If you've got a better idea on how we counter Chinese-launched orbital slig-shots from the moon I'd like to hear it!!!
-420
If you've got a better idea on how we counter Chinese-launched orbital slig-shots from the moon I'd like to hear it!!!
-420
[snapback]30934[/snapback]
Blow up the Chineese....
...and the moon, for safe measure?
Blow up the Chineese....
...and the moon, for safe measure?
[snapback]30935[/snapback]
Did you miss my tidbit?
-Elessar
Then we'd split the moon into three main chunks and all live in fear of the day one of the large moonchunks comes down and kills everyone in a very large impact zone. Sorry no thanks.
-Elessar
[snapback]30933[/snapback]
Actually that would be the least of concerns. The moon keeps the earth the way it is, the simple fact that it's drifting further and further away is already terrible news, luckily it's slow as fuck and maybe by the time it could actually cause any problems we could evacuate planet. LOL Seriously, the weather would be thrown out of wack, so might the earths orbit, maybe it would rotate too fast and spin off it's axis. We definately need the moon though, that's for sure. Without it... earth would surely become uninhabitable.
Actually that would be the least of concerns. The moon keeps the earth the way it is, the simple fact that it's drifting further and further away is already terrible news, luckily it's slow as fuck and maybe by the time it could actually cause any problems we could evacuate planet. LOL Seriously, the weather would be thrown out of wack, so might the earths orbit, maybe it would rotate too fast and spin off it's axis. We definately need the moon though, that's for sure. Without it... earth would surely become uninhabitable.
[snapback]30942[/snapback]
That's odd, I always heard that the moon was in a decaying orbit.
Anyway, the moon was formed when something big hit the earth and kicked a big chunk of rock and dirt into orbit. So earth was doing just fine without the moon before that stupid meteor showed up!
-420
Actually that would be the least of concerns. The moon keeps the earth the way it is, the simple fact that it's drifting further and further away is already terrible news, luckily it's slow as fuck and maybe by the time it could actually cause any problems we could evacuate planet. LOL Seriously, the weather would be thrown out of wack, so might the earths orbit, maybe it would rotate too fast and spin off it's axis. We definately need the moon though, that's for sure. Without it... earth would surely become uninhabitable.
[snapback]30942[/snapback]
erm...my tidbit was more of a joke...like pretty much everything else in this thread related to Earth's moon. i took it from the concept of a new show on tv...
-Elessar
Either way, we would be fucked without the moon.
[snapback]30947[/snapback]
Humans may be fucked, but the Earth would be better off without us anyway.
Carbon-based life depends on the fact that water, unlike everything else, expands when it gets cold. Because ice floats it allowed the ocean to retain enough heat that it became hospitable for carbon-based life.
-420
Blow up the moon, and I can just imagine the weather that follows. The sheer chaos. Hey... maybe this can be some sort of prediction! Yeah! Someone wants to "destroy" the world so they wipe out the moon... mass destruction... evil genius... must destroy... moon... fwa.. haha...hahaha....hahahahahaaa...hahahahahaaaaaaaaaa
[snapback]30949[/snapback]
Erm...as far as I know about whether, and that's a decent bit, the main, if not the only, effect removing the moon would have is a global change in tides because only the sun would be effecting them then. I think without the moon we probably would only experience one high tide and one low tide a day. Other than that most of the earth's weather is dependant on heat from the sun to move forward, not the moon.
-Elessar
Hmm well the tidal forces from the moon might have some effects on the interior of Earth that we don't know about. Perhaps it helps generate the energy that keeps the core moving. Without that energy we'd lose our magnetic field, and then the Sun would blow our atmosphere away and that would be bad stuff.
[snapback]30953[/snapback]
Sure, it could do that, but it won't have much effect on the weather alone.
-Elessar
Sure, it could do that, but it won't have much effect on the weather alone.
-Elessar
[snapback]30954[/snapback]
It would indirectly. When the atmosphere is gone there will not be any weather.
It would indirectly. When the atmosphere is gone there will not be any weather.
[snapback]30955[/snapback]
Somethign tells me we had an atmosphere before we had a moon....
-Elessar
Somethign tells me we had an atmosphere before we had a moon....
-Elessar
[snapback]30956[/snapback]
Don't be so sure. We know suprisingly little about the early Solar Syetem. The moon was create just about 50 million years after the formation of the Solar System while the Earth was still a molten sphere. The Earth only became big enough to retain a real atmosphere some time after the moon was formed. Plus we have no idea when the Earth's magnetic field started, and even less of an idea of how it keeps going.
Don't be so sure. We know suprisingly little about the early Solar Syetem. The moon was create just about 50 million years after the formation of the Solar System while the Earth was still a molten sphere. The Earth only became big enough to retain a real atmosphere some time after the moon was formed. Plus we have no idea when the Earth's magnetic field started, and even less of an idea of how it keeps going.
[snapback]30957[/snapback]
You mean no one told you? Way back when it was formed they put an Energizer Bunny in so it keeps going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going!
-Elessar
You mean no one told you? Way back when it was formed they put an Energizer Bunny in so it keeps going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going...and going!
-Elessar
[snapback]30959[/snapback]
No i must have missed that lol
Plus we have no idea when the Earth's magnetic field started, and even less of an idea of how it keeps going.
[snapback]30957[/snapback]
We also know that every once in awhile Earth's magnetic poles switch but we have no idea when it will happen next or what affect it will have, other than rendering our compasses useless.
-420
We also know that every once in awhile Earth's magnetic poles switch but we have no idea when it will happen next or what affect it will have, other than rendering our compasses useless.
-420
[snapback]30963[/snapback]
I just watched an interesting documentary about that. I was also able to view the Aurora from where I live a few years ago. I must say it was very cool...and quite freaky.
I was also able to view the Aurora from where I live a few years ago. I must say it was very cool...and quite freaky.
[snapback]30964[/snapback]
I got to see it when I came up for the World's Fair in Vancouver. Stayed at someones house and I could see it from the window. Neat!
-420