Dandy wrote:
cecilia wrote:
...
Pluto is now a "dwarf planet"
But isn't a "dwarf planet" still a planet?
So I'd say we now have 12 planets, with three of them beeing "dwarf planets"...
:-? :-? :-?
no, a "dwarf planet" is a new
designation.
(2) A dwarf planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape2, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
It may be similar to a planet, but at least some scientists see a need for a more specific definition. I think there's going to be more discussion about it (we ARE talking about scientists, after all), but that's the way things stand now.
