Pluto Has A Fifth Moon!

Almost a year ago, on July 20, 2011, astronomers observing Pluto using the Hubble Space Telescope, in preparation for the 2015 New Horizons flyby, discovered Pluto's fourth moon, P4. Today, New Horizons Principal Investigator Dr. Alan Stern announced the discovery of a fifth moon, unofficially known as P5! Are there still any doubts that the IAU vote in 2006 was premature? Interestingly, New Horizons was already en route to Pluto in August 2006, having been launched in January of that year. The Dawn mission to Ceres, was a definite go, scheduled for launch in 2007. It has been exploring Vesta for a year and will head for Ceres this August. Knowing these two missions were almost certainly going to unravel the secrets of Pluto and Ceres in 2015, why could the IAU not do the smart thing and hold off until we get the new data? Instead, they made a decision based on incomplete and insufficient information--very similar to the way 19th century astronomers erroneously demoted Ceres from planethood because their telescopes could not resolve Ceres into a disk, meaning they did not know that unlike most objects in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres is round and therefore a small planet. At present, both Ceres and Pluto are believed to possibly harbor a subsurface ocean--the type that could host microbial life! On a lighter note, as many readers know, I have become known online as the "Plutogirl," and my family has become known as the "Pluto family." How interesting is it that Pluto's fourth moon was announced on my dad's birthday last year, and Pluto's fifth moon was announced one day after my birthday this year! Here are the details of this latest discovery. http://www.space.com/16531-pluto-fifth-moon-hubble-discovery.html

Vote for Pluto!

A fifth moon of Pluto has been discovered by astronomers studying the Pluto system using the Hubble Space Telescope, in preparation for the New Horizons flyby in three years. More to come on this latest development. Show your support for Pluto's planet status here, and make your voices heard! http://www.space.com/16534-poll-pluto-dwarf-planet-status.html

11% of likely planets distrust polls - Philly.com

11% of likely planets distrust polls - Philly.com

NASA Dawn Mission Reveals Secrets of Large Asteroid - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

To paraphrase the late Dr. Brian Marsden, isn't it time we did away with the term "asteroid" for an object that is clearly a planetary body, much closer to a planet than to an asteroid?
NASA Dawn Mission Reveals Secrets of Large Asteroid - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Annual Pluto Protest in Seattle

http://www.greenwoodspacetravelsupply.blogspot.com/2012/02/pluto-day-on-march-10th.html

The Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. in Seattle is once again sponsoring its annual Pluto Day March and Rally in support of Pluto's planethood, held in conjunction with the 82nd anniversary of the announcement of Pluto's discovery, on March 13, 1930. While I love the poster and am now wearing the T-shirt, it should not read "Science Is Wrong" because "science" never mandated or decreed that Pluto is not a planet. A political decision by four percent of the IAU does NOT equate to "science." This is an important distinction because there is strong scientific support for Pluto's planet status under the geophysical planet definition. The view that dwarf planets are planets too is not, as its opponents often claim, based on sentiment. It IS just as much based on science as is the dynamical planet definition that excludes Pluto.

Planet Pluto Discovered 82 Years Ago Today

Eighty-two years ago today, on February 18, 1930, Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered planet Pluto, the tenth planet from the Sun. Pluto is commonly known as the ninth planet, but that is based on the erroneous demotion of Ceres in the 19^th century, before Ceres was recognized as being spherical and therefore a small planet.

Two days ago, on February 16, New Horizons Principal Investigator Dr. Alan Stern gave an update on the mission at the Weekly Space Hangout, which can be viewed in its entirety here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk8LUI1A6TQ&feature=player_embedded . During the broadcast, Stern also discussed several other issues including NASA’s new budget. Those watching live had the opportunity to tweet questions to Stern and to several other astronomers linked to the broadcast.

Stern also urged everyone to sign the Care2 petition for a New Horizons US stamp. Anyone can sign; you don’t have to be a US citizen or even over 18. The link, once again, is here: http://www.change.org/petitions/usps-honor-new-horizons-and-the-exploration-of-pluto-with-a-usps-stamp

Tombaugh was 24 years old with only a high school diploma when he discovered Pluto, a planet missed by professional astronomers who had been searching for it, including Percival Lowell himself. Lowell, who died thinking he failed to discover a trans-Neptunian planet, actually had captured images of Pluto on photographic plates in 1915 and 1916 but didn’t recognize the small object as a planet, much less the gas giant for which he was searching.

In online discussions, professional astronomers who disagree with me often resort to the old standby, “You’re only an amateur astronomer.” I don’t claim to be anywhere in the league of Clyde Tombaugh, but this insulting comment demeans all amateur astronomers, who have a long legacy of past and present astronomical discoveries. Amateur astronomers also tend to have a broader view that encompasses many fields within astronomy as opposed to a very specialized focus in one area to the exclusion of all others. And they are usually the ones who communicate astronomy with the public.

Today, through computers and relatively inexpensive telescopes, there are more opportunities than ever for amateur astronomers to make significant discoveries. Clyde Tombaugh’s accomplishment remains an inspiration to all who seek new discoveries, regardless of whether they are paid to do astronomy or do it as a labor of love.

The planet Tombaugh discovered is now known to have four moons, and the New Horizons team is preparing for the possibility that it might also have a ring system. This is important because at the spacecraft’s speed, it cannot afford an impact with even a small ring particle. If a ring system is found, New Horizons’ trajectory will be slightly altered to avoid the possibility of such an impact.

Planet Pluto’s discovery excited the world 82 years ago, and today, this little planet continues to enchant and surprise us. Is it any wonder that the attempt to demote it, done mostly by astronomers who do not study planets, has never really stuck?

In his talk, Stern made some insightful comments about Pluto’s status. Here are some of them.

“The solar system made a lot more planets than we learned about in grade school. The solar system is teeming with planets.”

“It was a great tragedy when the press so readily accepted the IAU definition.”

On the benefits of a geophysical planet definition: These small spherical bodies are “gravity-dominated as opposed to strength-dominated, like a rock (asteroid).”

Stern continues to reject the notion of a small group of self-selected experts voting on science.

“This 19^th century way of doing things—old guys in a closed room—is not the way to go. We’ve got to go with what people think.”

This statement shows respect for public opinion while at the same time noting that facts, not a backroom door vote, is what determines reality. The days of professional astronomers guarding their knowledge and keeping it from the general public as some sort of elite society are long over. Some professional astronomers seem to have a hard time accepting that change.

To commemorate this day of discovery, here is an image from 1930 announcing the new planet:

And here is Pluto today, a planet with four moons:

We can only imagine what the early photos from New Horizons will show us in just three years.

For now, Happy Anniversary of Discovery Day, Planet Pluto!

Please Sign Petition for New Horizons Stamp

Please sign the petition at this site in support of a postage stamp honoring the New Horizons mission. You do not have to be an American citizen to sign; anyone from anywhere in the world is eligible to sign it.

http://www.change.org/petitions/usps-honor-new-horizons-and-the-exploration-of-pluto-with-a-usps-stamp

Also, note the support of the stamp and of Pluto's planet status by Dave Eicher of Astronomy magazine here:

http://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/blogs/daves-universe/archive/2012/02/08/let-s-get-ourselves-a-new-horizons-pluto-stamp.aspx

And here is a video in support of the stamp:
http://www.viewbix.com/v/Vote---Pass-On--change-org--/bcf66e95-dc90-49d5-a149-6564c4750428