Date: 16 Sep 2006 17:51:36
From:
Subject: Planet or Nebula
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The "Planet" HAT-P-1 has been discovered in orbit around a system
in the Lacertian constellation.
HAT-P-1 orbits its star every 4.5 days at a distance of 7.5 million
kilometres. If that were in our Solar System Mercury would still be
approximately 6 times further out from the Sun.
When does a planet become a nebula? Maybe when the density is equal too
or less then a cork. This correlates to HAT-P-1 having the solidity
half that of Jupiter. Almost see through, excuse the pun.
This is a fine example of what the IAU had when debating Pluto. What
determines a Planet.
What's not to say the Earth was not a bulbous heavenly body before it
concentrated, who knows. The fact is scientists need to be allowed to
catalogue heavenly bodies accordingly. And if that means renaming the
old than so be it.
Taken from
http://scoopsuniverse.blogspot.com/
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