Posted by finelinebob on August 23, 2006, at 0:19:09
In reply to Re: An odd pattern of behavior » llrrrpp, posted by Jost on August 22, 2006, at 23:11:10
> Did you know that they're about to make Pluto not a planet?
I heard the opposite. That by confirming Pluto to be planet-worthy, they may have to classify other Solar satellites as being planets and not just planetoids or meteors or big chunks of dirty ice or icy rock.
> Astronomers must be an odd group. Seems they want the definition to be definite.Yes and no. Been one, so I know they're weird. Even in these days of computer-guided telescopes (no more hanging around in the dead of a cloudless--ie.freezing!--night so you can point-and-click at your favorite pinpoint in the sky). So what if you don't have to freeze your butt off anymore; you can always ruin a child's day when they ask "Why is the sky blue?" and you start explaining about the differential scattering of light due to the size of atoms and molecules compared to the varying wavelenths of different colors of light and why it's the same reason sunsets and sunrises are red.
And there are different factions that want different definitions to be definite. It's all about bragging rights and who gets their grants funded.
> PPS I shure hope no one read this.
... reading what?
poster:finelinebob
thread:678985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/esteem/20060725/msgs/679228.html