Spoke too soon

Those pesky astronomers changed their minds. When it came time for the International Astronomical Union General Assembly to vote on a new map of the Solar System, rather than adding planets, they made the “dwarf” label official and demoted Pluto. Now to qualify as a full “planet” a celestial body must not only have enough gravity to be round, but must also be the dominant body in its orbit around a star. Since Pluto’s orbit is erratic and loops inside that of Neptune, it isn’t dominant, and is therefore only a dwarf.

The ironic bit of storyline here is the emotional response Pluto’s demotion seems to have sparked. In online poll after online poll the options that read something like “Who cares what the astronomers say? Pluto will always be a planet in my book!” or “Why mess with tradition? Pluto should remain a planet.” are winning by huge margins. And it’s not just the bumpkins; a lot of otherwise smart, progressive people are reacting in anything but a smart, progressive way. People grew up learning that Pluto is a planet and it seems most are unwilling to part with childhood comforts.

Well folks, that ain’t science. Tradition once dictated that the world is flat, that god created it in six days, and that the best way to cure sickness is to drain a person of his blood. I can’t believe that in this so-called enlightened age we’re so set against an obviously necessary and correct change just because it’s a change.

Tags: space society