As for myself, I think it's quite probable that we may decide to demote Pluto eventually. But for now I say we should keep the current standings. I think there's just not enough data to be sure whether Pluto can be considered a TNO or not, because we don't know enough about either Pluto or TNO's to be able to compare them accurately.

What we really need is a mission out there to find out what Pluto really is like. More sightings of TNO's and their make-up would help. If we discover a few more very large TNO's and also find that Pluto is basically identical to them, then there'll be more of a basis for a demotion.

It would also help if we had a clear-cut definition of a planet, such as the one given above. But also, should composition be a factor? Is similarity (or lack thereof) to other known objects really a factor in determining planethood?

At this time there's no difficulty that I can see with keeping planetary status and at the same time studying Pluto as if it were a TNO. When we know more, we can make more clear-cut decisions. What concerns me more is why there's so much trouble getting a mission out there to begin with. It takes so long to get something out there that we have to get cracking. Let's hurry up and get a probe on it's way!


PS:

<font size=+2>***Happy New Year to everyone!***</font>

(It's 01:30am Jan. 1, 2002 where I am, so I can be the first to say so! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img])

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...And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped. --Sir Bedevere