What about "planetoid"?

topic posted Sun, September 17, 2006 - 8:43 AM by  Yul
So what about the term "planetoid"? Is that another word for dwarf planet, or is it something else?

posted by:
Yul
offline Yul
Michigan
  • Re: What about "planetoid"?

    Mon, September 18, 2006 - 9:37 AM
    I have not seen or heard "planetoid" applied to dwarf planets. But the whole dwarf planet designation bothers me. Pluto is what it is and whatever each individual wants it to be. To me, it is a planet and one of the biggest and toughest catches made by myself with my 12.5 inch dobsonian. If the Pacific Ocean were suddenly reclassified as a great big lake would a thing about it change in the way people perceive it? I would never start thinking of it as the Pacific Great Big Lake.

    Here is something: This morning I caught an image of Eris, a much bigger "dwarf planet" than Pluto. Here is the link to that image and a tad of info on it: antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060918.html

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