* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, August 1, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

    Micro wrestling coming to NE Ohio – Cleveland.com

    Get Ready, NE Ohio: Micro Wrestling Is Making Its Exciting Debut!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    AI’s race in the dark with China – Axios

    The High-Stakes AI Race: Innovation and Competition in the Shadows

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

    Micro wrestling coming to NE Ohio – Cleveland.com

    Get Ready, NE Ohio: Micro Wrestling Is Making Its Exciting Debut!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    AI’s race in the dark with China – Axios

    The High-Stakes AI Race: Innovation and Competition in the Shadows

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Astronomers want to change how we define a planet — again

July 18, 2024
in Science
Astronomers want to change how we define a planet — again
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Image of the planets in our solar system before Pluto was demoted

The version of our solar system containing nine planets was debunked in 2006 following the reclassification of Pluto. Now, astronomers are proposing a new definition of a planet.
(Image credit: NASA/JPL/ASU)

Astronomers are proposing a new definition of a planet, nearly two decades after a previous such change led to Pluto’s demotion. The new definition would add measurable criteria, including considerations of the planet’s mass — and it would still leave Pluto with its dwarf planet status.

Currently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defines a planet as a celestial body with three characteristics: It orbits the sun, it’s big enough for gravity to mold it into a roundish shape, and it has cleared away any smaller objects, other than moons and other satellites, surrounding its orbit. 

“The problem in the past was, you had a word ‘planet’ but you didn’t have a quantitative definition of it,” Brett Gladman, an astronomer at the University of British Columbia who, along with colleagues, proposed the new definition, told Live Science. The proposal was outlined in a paper posted July 10 to the preprint server arXiv and is scheduled to be presented at the IAU General Assembly in August.

Without a quantitative point of reference, the current definition runs into many issues, Gladman said. Namely, the criteria are vague; it’s unclear how large these bodies need to be, or “how clear” their orbits should be, to be considered planets. For example, Earth and Jupiter have asteroids that regularly cross their paths, raising the question of whether the planets truly have clear orbital paths. The current definition also fails to consider objects that orbit stars other than the sun, such as the more than 5,500 exoplanets that have been detected beyond our solar system.

But “the most problematic by far is the roundness criterion,” Jean-Luc Margot, an astronomer at UCLA and lead author of the paper, told Live Science. “Roundness is simply not observable. We do not have the technology, and we will not have the technology anytime soon.”

Related: Enormous planet discovered around tiny star could break our understanding of solar system formation

Instead of focusing on the planets’ roundness and orbital paths, the new definition emphasizes a measurable quantity: the object’s mass. This new definition describes a planet as a celestial object that meets the following criteria: 

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

To ensure that their classification framework would be logical and unbiased, the scientists used a method called unsupervised clustering, an algorithm that groups similar objects. This technique also successfully grouped the eight planets in the solar system.

“No matter how many criticisms you can lodge at the current IAU definition, you can at least be satisfied that the outcome, the eight planets, is the reasonable classification,” he said.

The astronomers argued that the ability to clear the orbital paths, known as dynamical dominance, can be determined by the planet’s mass. For example, the mass of each of the eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are at least three orders of magnitude more massive than dwarf planets that are not dynamically dominant. 

The dynamical dominance also sets a lower mass limit on what qualifies as a planet. However, Pluto, which has a mass of only 2.88 x 10^22 pounds (1.31 x 10^22 kg), will still not qualify as a planet under the new definition. 

With regard to roundness, the mass of a celestial object larger than 10^21 kg is typically spherical due to gravitational pull. In this way, the new definition does not really contradict the current definition but rather adds specificity to it, Margot said. 

“Humans are very tied to language and names and classification, because that’s how we think about the world,” Gladman added. “That’s how we sort out the complexity of the world. We want to give names to things and put them in classes. And scientists want to do that, too. We just want to do it precisely.”

There is always a possibility of pushback. Margot will present the proposal at the IAU General Assembly in August, but he is not expecting a consensus to be made then. Instead, he hopes that through the presentation, the team will identify individuals who are interested in the idea and continue the discussion.

The proposal was written out of “conviction that we can do better as a community,” Margot said. “We owe it to ourselves and to the public to come up with better definitions for these important astrophysical terms.”

Kristel is a science writer based in the U.S. with a doctorate in chemistry from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She holds a master’s degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has appeared in Drug Discovery News, Science, Eos and Mongabay, among other outlets. She received the 2022 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Live Science – https://www.livescience.com/space/planets/astronomers-want-to-change-how-we-define-a-planet-again

Tags: Astronomerschangescience
Previous Post

Famous Taung Child fossil from South Africa is 2.58 million years old, new study finds

Next Post

PFL announces new matchups, playoff alternates for August cards

Women’s Voices Are the Only Way Forward for Climate Change Solutions: ‘As Women, We Have to Stand Up and Back Up Women’ – Ms. Magazine

Women’s Voices Are the Only Way Forward for Climate Change Solutions: ‘As Women, We Have to Stand Up and Back Up Women’ – Ms. Magazine

August 1, 2025
“A Danger to the Entire Planet”: Amid Deadly Extreme Weather, Trump’s EPA Rejects Climate Science – Democracy Now!

“A Danger to the Entire Planet”: Amid Deadly Extreme Weather, Trump’s EPA Rejects Climate Science – Democracy Now!

August 1, 2025
Ten Lifestyle Group Announces Total Voting Rights and Share Capital Update – TipRanks

Ten Lifestyle Group Announces Total Voting Rights and Share Capital Update – TipRanks

August 1, 2025
Five different countries take gold medals on a wide-open day at the swim world championships – AP News

Five Countries Triumph in a Thrilling, Unpredictable Day at the Swim World Championships

August 1, 2025
US employers slash hiring as Trump advances a punishing trade agenda – AP News

US Employers Slash Hiring as Trump’s Aggressive Trade Policies Shake the Market

August 1, 2025
Duffer Brothers and Jerry Bruckheimer Join Program for Entertainment and Technology Summit – Variety

Duffer Brothers and Jerry Bruckheimer Join Forces for an Exciting Entertainment and Technology Summit

August 1, 2025
Alabama schools enhance mental health support as students return to the classroom – WBMA

Alabama Schools Ramp Up Mental Health Support as Students Return to Classrooms

August 1, 2025
Platts­burgh town su­per­visor eyed for Dem ticket in N.Y. Assembly special election – Spectrum News

Platts­burgh town su­per­visor eyed for Dem ticket in N.Y. Assembly special election – Spectrum News

August 1, 2025
Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

August 1, 2025
Carlos Correa trade grades: Astros score ‘A’ for stunning deadline deal, Twins get their salary dump – CBS Sports

Carlos Correa Trade Grades: Astros Land an ‘A’ for Blockbuster Deadline Deal, Twins Successfully Shed Salary

August 1, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (749)
  • Economy (774)
  • Entertainment (21,652)
  • General (16,230)
  • Health (9,811)
  • Lifestyle (782)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (775)
  • Politics (783)
  • Science (15,987)
  • Sports (21,270)
  • Technology (15,752)
  • World (757)

Recent News

Women’s Voices Are the Only Way Forward for Climate Change Solutions: ‘As Women, We Have to Stand Up and Back Up Women’ – Ms. Magazine

Women’s Voices Are the Only Way Forward for Climate Change Solutions: ‘As Women, We Have to Stand Up and Back Up Women’ – Ms. Magazine

August 1, 2025
“A Danger to the Entire Planet”: Amid Deadly Extreme Weather, Trump’s EPA Rejects Climate Science – Democracy Now!

“A Danger to the Entire Planet”: Amid Deadly Extreme Weather, Trump’s EPA Rejects Climate Science – Democracy Now!

August 1, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version