This week, I take on the long-simmering controversy over whether Pluto is a planet, a dwarf planet or an upside down pineapple cake. Enjoy!
Michael Siegel
Michael Siegel is an astronomer living in Pennsylvania. He blogs at his own site, and has written a novel.
Due to problems related to a WordPress update, the site's layout had to be moderately altered. Some of the changes are temporary.
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25Kennedy pushes out top Vaccine doc at FDA, I bet we are about a year away from vaccine bans: https:/…
on Weekend Plans Post: Pantherine VandalsDate Nite With Maribou was "Wicked". I'd never seen it, never seen the musical, never heard the soun…
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25Is that before or after he tries to migrate Social Security off its legacy systems and onto newer on…
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25I don't see even the slightest connection to George Floyd. All reviews say the movie is a trainwreck… on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25https://www.app.com/story/news/nation/2025/03/28/donald-trump-elon-musk-leaving-doge-may-2025-report…
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25One full of and run by f*cking idiots. on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25And we managed to really alienate Canada. What kind of country manages to alienate Canada? on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25Apologies on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25You know how, periodically, there's a situation in California that results in house insurance compan… on The HoldoutIs it just thumb wrestling and something you say before the match? It's not a rhyme and googling it…
March 28, 2025
They’re Acting Queer in Cleveland
March 27, 2025
A Loaf of Bread, a Container of Milk, and a Stick of Butter
March 26, 2025
Bowling — Balling Up the Score
March 25, 2025
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Weekend Plans Post: Pantherine Vandals
on Weekend Plans Post: Pantherine Vandals on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25
on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25 on Weekend Plans Post: Pantherine Vandals on Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25
Great explanation of the history and meaning of Pluto and the decision about its classification.
You did leave one dangling mystery: If Pluto was too small to cause the perturbations seen in Neptune’s orbit, what did?Report
Clyde Tombaugh’s story is one of the really great ones in astronomy and was inspirational to me as a boy. Perhaps’s Hubble’s discovery of red-shifting, the year before Tombaugh found Pluto, was cosmically more significant (see what I did there?) but Tombaugh’s was kind of sexier.Report
Pluto IS a planet, and will remain one at least until my last breath.😇
Seriously, I didn’t take it well 15 years ago, and I’m not over it. Since I was a kid vaguely interested in astronomy, Neptune, and Pluto were my favorite and I would read every scrap of information on both. I was thrilled to find out that Pluto had a moon, Charon. It made if part of tbe big boys league (take that, Mercury and Venus).Report