How Many Planets Do You Want in the Solar System?
Now, a year and a half after the International Astronomical Union decision, it seems to me that most people have reached the acceptance stage that there are eight planets in the solar system
makes it clear that “most people” is a synonym for “certainly not everyone”
The crux of the continuing debate among some is that there is still not a satisfying definition of planet
IAU therefore resolves that planets
be defined into three distinct
(1) A “planet” is a celestial body
(3) All other objects, except satellites
The underlying question boils down to: Is what makes a planet a planet what it is (its physical characteristics) or where it is (its dynamics)?
Here are the possibilities for the number of planets are in the solar system:
The Current Answer: Eight.
The “No Planet Left Behind” Option: 13.
The Historical Precedent Choice: 10.
The word “planet” originally described “wanderers”
clipped from: tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com