Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21423706s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #237.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.740
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Definitions can serve a useful purpose in science by providing a means of organizing things that share similar characteristics, so that the basis of those characteristics can be more closely studied, compared and contrasted. Definitions are not unique and objects can be organized in many different ways that serve different purposes. The usefulness of the IAU definition for the term planet is very narrow. It seeks to identify those few objects that are gravitationally dominant in our own solar system. It does not motivate any new science questions. It is not easily extensible to other solar systems. Another way of defining the term planet, seeks to identify those objects that have characteristics similar to the Earth. This geophysical definition, based on a criterion of roundness, seeks to identify the boundary at which geological processes arise in our own solar system and in others. Under the geophysical definition, Ceres and Pluto are planets and the number of planets in our solar system is open-ended. In 2015, the Dawn spacecraft will enter orbit about Ceres and New Horizons will flyby the Pluto system. We expect that these spacecraft will be studying geological and atmospheric phenomena distinct from the inactive asteroids with which the IAU definition would group them.
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