Goodbye Pluto! *sniff*

"a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid-body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit" - definition of 'planet' as spelt out at the recent 26th General Assembly of the International Aastronomical Union in Prague, August 2006

How many planets in our Solar System?

Before, when I was much younger and into my adult life, the answer would be taken for granted as 9.

Now, after much debate and with the recent discovery of Xena, the whole understanding and definition of what 'planet' means have been put under intense scrutiny. So, after the IAU has stepped in with their historic meeting to settle this, the count for planets in our Solar System is now 8. With the count less by 1, we lost Pluto, a once-planet whose name has since remain familiar with us to that Disney's much loved dog character.

I have grown up with Pluto all this while and the presence and essence of it will be missed as this planet is now know as a 'dwarf planet'. I personally woudl prefer to have Pluto be continued as a 'planet' but science speaks for what is factual or known. The heart and emotions do not really have room in such environment. *sigh*

Anyway, life continues! On the bright side, schoolchildren now only have to memorise 8 planet names and didn't have to face the problem of needing to memorise dozens instead...