[meteorite-list] IAU SPEAKS OUT ON 2003 UB313 PLANET STATUS

From: Sterling K. Webb <kelly_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Aug 13 00:51:41 2005
Message-ID: <42FD7C3D.4A3FD06D_at_bhil.com>

Hi,

    The IAU has made an official announcement
on the question of whether or not 2003 UB313
IS or IS NOT a planet:
<http://www.iau.org/IAU/FAQ/2003_UB313.html>

    Wise beaurocrats, they have decided NOT
to decide FOR NOW.

    "The discovery of 2003 UB313 has precipitated
the need for such a definition in order to decide
whether 2003 UB313 is to be classified as a planet
or not. Until then the object will not be given an
official name by the IAU."

    Discover Brown's web site says:

    "We have recently discussed the status of
the object and of the name with members of the
IAU who decide such things. As far as we can
determine several activities are taking place:
A special committee of the International
Astronomical Union (IAU)is trying to decide
precisely what to classify this as.
    Another committee of the IAU which vets
names for asteroids and Kuiper belt objects is
mulling over the name that we suggested upon
discovery.
    Yet another committee of the IAU which approves
names for features on major planets and
satellites has suggested that if the object
is declared a major planet the naming falls
strictly to them, and they have suggested that
the name should continue the Greco-Roman
tradition of the previous planets.
    We have a couple of interesting choices
in mind in that case."

    All things in time...


Sterling K. Webb
Received on Sat 13 Aug 2005 12:51:10 AM PDT