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Amateur Astronomy
The Demotion of Pluto
The year was 1930. An astronomer, Clyde Tombaugh, was just 24 years old. He was studying the night sky at Lowell Observatory in Arizona when he discovered what would come to be known as Pluto…the ninth planet in our solar system. On January 23, 1930, Clyde saw a dim speck moving among the stars. It was quickly hailed as not only the ninth planet in our solar system, but the first planet discovered by an American. Americans were so proud!
There were a lot of names suggested for the new planet that Tombaugh had discovered. It was his prerogative to choose the name. Suggestions flowed in from all over the world. "Pluto" was suggested by then-11-year-old Venetia Burney from Oxford, England. She wanted to name the planet after Mickey Mouse's dog (Mickey's dog Pluto debuted that same year). Tombough liked the name and chose it. Venetia still lives in England and is quoted as having said, "It has now been satisfactorily proven that the dog was named after the planet, rather than the other way round."
Problem is, Pluto is no longer a planet. It didn't change, disintegrate, or disappear from the night sky. Rather, it fell victim to what some describe as "politics."
Pluto is no longer considered a planet thanks to votes cast by only 424 astronomers (5% of the membership) on the very last day of the meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague in 2006.
Mike Brown, an astronomer from CalTech (and another American), recently discovered another Pluto-sized object that will not be called a planet either, under the new guidelines.
Many of those who are in a position to know say that the decision will not stand and that textbooks should not be rewritten just yet. The vote has been taken, but the debate isn't over.
See Also:
Mystery Heavenly Body Discovered, a front page story
The Planet Jupiter
The Planet Jupiter
The planet Jupiter is was named by the Romans after their god Jupiter, who was also sometimes called Jove. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system by far. It is more than twice as large as all of the other planets combined.
Jupiter might well have become a star when it was born, had it been larger. There is very little (if any) solid matter on Jupiter. If there is any at all, it is hidden deeply inside the planet. Jupiter is made up entirely (as far as we know now) of gases and liquids.
The very composition of Jupiter means that its parts do not rotate at the same speed, but rotation is fast. Jupiter makes one complete revolution in a little less than 10 hours. This very fast rotation plus the makeup of gases and liquids are what causes the bulge at the equator of Jupiter.
Jupiter has an internal heat source. We are sure of this because it actually emits more radiation than it gets from the sun.
There are four large moons and dozens of small moons that rotate around Jupiter, making it a kind of small solar system unto itself.
One of the more outstanding features about Jupiter is the never-ending hurricane called "The Giant Red Spot" in the southern hemisphere. This disturbance has been going on for the last 400 years that we know of. It never abates…probably because it never passes over land (there isn't any) like hurricanes on earth do.
An explanation for the color of the clouds on Jupiter still eludes astronomers. With the conditions that exist, clouds should be colorless, but they are anything but colorless, and they change color over time. We still have a lot to learn! |
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More articles:
Amateur Astronomy Magazine
Telescope Accessories
Curious About Astronomy? Careers in Astronomy
Amateur Astronomy Magazine
Mercury Seven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galileo Galilei
Inspired by Maria Mitchell
Generations of women scientists in all of the scientific disciplines have been inspired by Maria Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell was a woman ahead of her time who left an indelible mark on science and the role that women play in scientific research and discovery.
Maria Mitchell was born in 1818. A Quaker couple, William and Lydia Mitchell, had 10 children; Maria was the third child. She attended Cyrus Peirce's School for Young Ladies in her early years, then was taught mostly by her father. After that she was mostly self-educated, but she was the first woman to ever have an advanced degree awarded. It was awarded by Indiana Hanover College in 1853 after she had already discovered a comet, which is named after her. She was also the first woman ever appointed to the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Maria Mitchell was the most famous American scientist of either sex in the nineteenth century. She was a most remarkable woman who left her mark on astronomy long before women gained the right to vote. In 1847, Maria discovered what we know today as the Comet Mitchell 1847VI, and that was just the first in a long list of accomplishments.
Maria Mitchell is still inspiring young astronomers today. The Maria Mitchell Observatory was established next to her home in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1908, and it is still very much operational. There is an extensive public education program, and the observatory sponsors research by undergraduate students. The Maria Mitchell Observatory is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The Maria Mitchell Observatory is also home to over 8,000 historic photographic glass plates. The plates were taken by observatory astronomers and students between 1910 and 1995 and span nearly a century of the Nantucket night skies.
Related Topics: Basic Astronomy Quiz,
Sir Christopher Wren, Careers in Astronomy
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