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~Rachel~ Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
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For those with kids who love the stars... we now have EIGHT planets, and about three 'dwarf' planets...
You can read more here.
__________________ ~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 1:15pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the link, Rachel. My kids love science news and for some funny reason, my 4yo is just over-the-moon (sorry for the pun) about planets right now! There have been a lot of great shows on the Science channel recently - Passport to Pluto and Last Planet from the Earth are his two favorite shows right now! Go figure.
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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~Rachel~ Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Oops Dawn... going to have to do some fast talking!! .
Luckily I think you might be safe with the 'dwaf planet' designation... after all, it is still a planet... just a DWARF one
__________________ ~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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Jen L. Forum All-Star
Joined: Oct 18 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 1:31pm | IP Logged
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I find this all very interesting. I had just heard that we might "get" 3 new planets!
Here's a link with more info (from just last week)
__________________ Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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Cay Gibson Forum All-Star
Joined: July 16 2005 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
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My 13 yr old told me about this this morning and I thought he was kidding. I remarked that they've been arguing since I was in school about whether Pluto was a planet or not.
Good lesson to demonstrate how science and history are constantly being re-written.
__________________ Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Martha Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 25 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: Aug 24 2006 at 3:17pm | IP Logged
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Cay's right, it's been argued ever since it was first sighted.
When we put a man on Pluto, he can ask the locals what they think about it.
It's anybody's guess until then!
__________________ Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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Elena Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 13 2006 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Aug 25 2006 at 7:58am | IP Logged
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Pluto will always be a planet to me! I wonder if in another 50 years or so they'll reconsider?
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TracyQ Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: New York
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Posted: Aug 25 2006 at 9:41am | IP Logged
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It really depends on how they *define* what a planet is, and that's where the discrepancy lies.
However, we studied Apologia Elementary Astronomy last year, and when studying each planet, when we got to Pluto, and Jeannie Fulbright explained why they were discussing (at that time) whether Pluto should be a planet or not, it seemed very obvious to me how very different Pluto is from every other single planet in many ways (I wish I hadn't sold the book so I could type them out ).
But it was SO different, I really questioned myself whether it could be considered a planet or not.
Maybe now that they have more information, and technology is better, they realize they never should have included it as a planet in the first place.
It's all interesting, isn't it? Just last year, my kids were adding their *My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas* mnemonic to their notebook.
Now, we'll have to change it to *My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us......NOTHING!*
__________________ Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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MacBeth Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: New York
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Posted: Aug 25 2006 at 4:12pm | IP Logged
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Aww...Tracy!
My Very Eloquent Mother Just Said "Unending" (as in this debate will be unending... ).
I think it is important to remember that the only thing changing is a definition, not the physical properties of the planets, planetoids, minor planets, gas giants, comets, random wanderers, asteroids, moons, etc.
__________________ God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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TracyQ Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 26 2006 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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Oh, I agree MacBeth! It's the definition, which seems to change with the wind!
But it does take some nostalgia away, doesn't it???
Ah well........life goes on. I suspect when we see Jesus face to face, the world will suddenly be opened up, and we'll see HIS universe, and gasp with breathtaking awe!!!
__________________ Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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MacBeth Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
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Posted: Aug 26 2006 at 11:40am | IP Logged
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TracyQ wrote:
Ah well........life goes on. I suspect when we see Jesus face to face, the world will suddenly be opened up, and we'll see HIS universe, and gasp with breathtaking awe!!! |
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Amen!
I know what you mean, though. I used to do HUGE astro programs for schools, and we'd start out in the auditorium, where I would chose 10 kids from the audience to be the solar system. They would line up in planet order, from the sun out. During the late 80s, Pluto was inside the orbit of Neptune, and the kids always laughed at the thought...now, do we leave Pluto out of that lineup? Do we add Ceres and other minor planets?
__________________ God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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~Rachel~ Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Aug 29 2006 at 3:32pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
now, do we leave Pluto out of that lineup? Do we add Ceres and other minor planets? |
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Maybe what we need is to have a new mnemonic to memorise all 8 planets, and including the 3 dwarves...
The thing I found MOST fascinating, is how ceres USED to be considered a planet anyway!
M V E M c J S U N p u (UB313)
Anyone have ideas??
__________________ ~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
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MacBeth Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: New York
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Posted: Aug 29 2006 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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My Venerable Ecumenical Minister can't Just Say Unction Now. please understand.
__________________ God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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MacBeth Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: New York
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Posted: Aug 29 2006 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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OTOH, isn't is just easier to memorize the planets (or whatever) in order?
__________________ God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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