ASTRO: Defining 'planet' wasRe: [extropy-chat] The list is not dead...

[mail at harveynewstrom.com]

Mike Lorrey writes: 

> I myself would, beyond my and Sterns definition, divide planets up into
> the following categories: gas giants, terrestrial planets, and ice
> planets. I would regard the round asteroid Ceres as a terrestrial
> planet (that it suffers from Jupiter's gravitational imperialism is a
> separate issue), and all the KBOs that are round as ice planets.

I agree totally.  I even wish we didn't distinguish between stars, moons and 
planets.  We should describe objects based on their characteristics.  I 
would prefer a system like this: 

X-rayballs: Quasars, Blackholes, etc.
Neutronballs: Neutron stars, collapsed stars, etc.
Lightballs:  Sun, stars, etc.
Heatballs: Brown Dwarfs, Jupiter, Saturn?, etc.
Gasballs: Uranus, Neptune, etc.
Dirtballs: Earth, Ganymede, Luna, Ceres, etc.
Iceballs: Pluto, Charon, 2003UB313, 2003EL61, Sedna, Varuna, Quaoar etc.
Nonballs(fragments): Irregularly shaped moons, asteroids, fragments, debris 

 --
Harvey Newstrom <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>
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