[Freedumb]

Just another example demonstrating how little science/technical knowledge the typical MSM reporter/editor has. Hey geniuses at Reuters, Kepler figured out 400 years ago that the planets moved in an elliptical orbit, not a circular orbit. The Earth DOES NOT orbit consistently at 93 million miles, it varies from around 91 to 94.5 million miles.

[steveo]

"We actually measured the size of UB313 which was not known prior to these observations,"

So is it bigger than UB40?

[djf]

Yet if you were to visually inspect the Earths orbit from a long distance away, you'd be hard pressed to say it was not circular.

Same thing with the oblateness of the Earth. The Earth is actually more spherical than most pool balls you will ever see.

[opticks]

Yep, they are knuckleheads. But what do you expect when most people fear or loathe science when they are taught it in school? The "what makes a planet" debate is pretty interesting though. Personally, if a body has a sustainable atmosphere (however tenuous) that is independent of orbital position (ruling out comets), and does not revolve around another body (ruling out moons like Titan), then it probably deserves planethood.

[Verginius Rufus]

Pluto must have slowed down...it used to take 248 years for a single trip around the sun.

The last planet larger than Pluto discovered was also discovered in Germany, by Galle in 1846, using calculations sent him by a Frenchman, LeVerrier.

[Vaquero]

space ping

[jiggyboy]

Well then I'm a dope too. If somebody asks me how far Earth is from the sun, I say 93 million miles; I don't additionally give a mini-lecture about focal points.

[SunkenCiv]

Not to nitpick, but this has already appeared on FreeRepublic, and it's in the active list. :'(

[JohnCliftn]

I have additional objections to the way this is written:

• Needs the word "about" or error estimates
• Measured parameters are given, apparently, to one significant digit (3000km, 700, etc.) but the English conversion implies three significant digits
• The estimates orbital parameters should be supplied
• The whole "who is bigger" discussion is silly