The Great Pluto Debate

The Great Pluto Debate:

Is Pluto really an honest-to-goodness, card-carrying planet, or just a pretender from the ranks of the icy bodies of the outermost fringes of the solar system? Discovery of some large icy bodies in the outer solar system in the late 1990s, caused this question to flare up in astronomical circles and in the mainstream press. More recent discoveries expose the fact that it is not quite settled yet. In recitation sections on October 28 and 31 you will participate in this debate to try and settle the matter - for Astro 120, at least..

Homework 3 will help you prepare - it is a bit different than the previous homeworks, so click on the link there, print it out, and then read this item again. You are to fill out the 'pre-debate' questions and bring the paper with you to recitation on 10/28 (or 10/31).

For background reading, check out the following links about the new discoveries:

A "tenth planet" beyond Pluto discovered this past summer. Read this link to see what its discoverer, Mike Brown of Caltech, has to say regarding its (and Pluto's) planetary status.
And it has a moon! (from Mike Brown's site - see also this article on the subject).
Sedna - an earlier discovery of a large KBO object.
BBC News item, with public comments.
Aha - but how big are KBO objects, really?
A Wikipedia entry
For a somewhat different point of view look at Dave Jewitt's page on large objects in the Kuiper Belt. Dave is co-discoverer of the very first KBO. Feel free to explore the links on this page for more than you'll ever need or want to know about these things!

and be sure to read up on the discussion from a few years ago by checking out these links as well.

The 'official statement' of the International Astronomical Union. (does saying it is so mean that it really is so?)
FAQ-Is Pluto a Planet from another 'official' group.
Much Ado about Pluto - from NASA.
A Major Fracas about a Small, but Not Quite Minor, Planet: the New York Times weighs in.
A Case Study in Solar System Classification More details, with comments.
What is a Planet? Debate Forces a New Definition: from Space.com.
Numerous quotes and links to popular and newspaper articles on the Pluto Debate