In the wake of Pluto’s demotion to a pluton ( lump of magma that has solidified, apparently), there’s a backlash building.
A fierce backlash has begun against the decision by astronomers to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.
On Thursday, experts approved a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to a lesser category of object.
But the lead scientist on Nasa’s robotic mission to Pluto has lambasted the ruling, calling it “embarrassing”.
And the chair of the committee set up to oversee agreement on a definition implied that the vote had effectively been “hijacked”.
Quite right, too. I watched a BBC news item last week where an astronomer was discussing the three “new” heavenly bodies, Ceres, Charon and the imaginatively and memorably named UB313 and their status as “planets”. A the time, he said that calling them planets would confuse the public.
Oh, dear; poor, ignorant, stupid public, unable as we are to understand all this high fallutin’ astronomer speak. Or, in plain words, how bloody patronising. Now they’ve demoted Pluto. It seems this is a step too far:
Stern said like-minded astronomers had begun a petition to get Pluto reinstated. Car bumper stickers compelling motorists to “Honk if Pluto is still a planet” have gone on sale over the internet and e-mails circulating about the decision have been describing the IAU as the “Irrelevant Astronomical Union”.
Irrelevant Astronomical Union – luvvit! 😀 Meanwhile, Justin is equally dismayed.
Mike Brown seemed happy with Pluto’s demotion. “Eight is enough,” he told the Associated Press, jokingly adding: “I may go down in history as the guy who killed Pluto.”
Maybe astronomers really are as daft as these guys.