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Colloquial language doesn't have to follow scientific language. No facts about the physical universe changed with the name change. We can just keep calling Plut
by vundercind 3y ago
Colloquial language doesn't have to follow scientific language. No facts about the physical universe changed with the name change. We can just keep calling Pluto the ninth planet, which lets the hypothesized distant planet be "Planet X" which is way the hell cooler than "planet 9". There's no need for any permission to do this.
- juped 3y agoAlso the IAU only has as much authority to define "planet" as you give it, and there's not much reason to give it any, especially when the geologists make so much more sense.
- Izkata 3y agoNASA still has a page where that's the primary term: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/planet-x/ https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/planet-x/
- greggsy 3y agoThat’s only in the context of ‘x’ being unknown. They’re still referring to it as ‘planet nine’ in the article.
- Izkata 3y ago> Batygin and Brown nicknamed their predicted object "Planet Nine," but the actual naming rights of an object go to the person who actually discovers it. The name used during previous hunts for the long suspected giant, undiscovered object beyond Neptune is "Planet X." It's the same thing. These researchers just chose a different name. And the article does use "planet X" more than "planet 9"/"planet nine".