traditional definition: I grew up being told it was a planet.
problem: That ain’t science.
current official definition: It orbits the sun and has cleared
its neighborhood of planetesimals.
problem: Extrasolar planets—aren’t.
wider definition: It has cleared its neighborhood.
problem: We still don’t know about extrasolar planets.
future definition: We’ve been calling it a planet.
the Daily Whale
copyright 2015, 2024 Jay J.P. Scott
<jay@satirist.org>