The Astronomical Union will be voting today in Prague, Czech Republic on a new definition of of the meaning of "planet". The new definition says a planet is " an object massive enough that gravity has formed it into a sphere and that it circles a star and not some other planet." The immediate implication will be an addtional 3 planets added to our 9 with the posibility of another 50 being added if the Kuiper Belt is included.
Who is served by this new definition? What is gained by this new definition? The original word " planet" comes from the Greek and meant " wanderer". But the planets don't wander. They are in a perpetual eliptical course around our own sun. The celestial bodies would be more accuraetly described as "corsairs". Why didn't the Astronomical Union address that? But what would be gained by that new name?
In the pursuit of new and more " scientific definitions" of the heavenly bodies we are going to lose something more important. We will lose our sense of place and with it our sense of personal identity in our spot in the universe.
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