Pluto declared a dwarf Planet

[Jamie]

I would really like to hear what people here think on this subject.

[GazOC]

Keep you off yer sleep eh??????????

[daz]

Think it should've remained so, for historical purposes.

[Astroman]

I disagree, but will abide by decision of the governing body. It'll be hard to un-learn "My very educated mother...", but at least we don't have to learn WH's alternative.

http://stargazerslounge.co.uk/index.php?topic=6295.msg67905#msg68014

[JDWolf]

Just read this article on the bbc website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5282440.stm

Can kind of understand why they took the decision to down grade it to a dwarf planet.

Guess the good thing is that we now have some more planet like objects that we can try and find in the night sky.

I wonder what size scope you need to see Ceres (new dwarf planet between Mars and Jupiter)?

[Astroman]

Should be easy in just about anything. It's magnitude is presently listed as 7.4. It's about 5 degrees southeast of M30 in Pisces Austrinus.

I have a current position for Ceres as: RA 21:37:53.6 -28º 53' 53.6" Give it a shot! Look at it one night, then again another night. It moves about 1/3 degree each day.

[FLO]

Science aside, check out the view of our solar system from Pluto today (from StarryNight Pro).

I ask you, what kind of 'planet' keeps an orbit like that

Off to bed now; wouldn't want to lose any sleep

[OXO]

Poor poor Clyde Tombaugh and Venetia Burney