From: Eric Jablow <ejablow at cox.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Re: possible tenth Solar planet
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 00:47:16 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Mar 15, 2004, at 12:09 AM, ronkean at juno.com wrote:
> Even Pluto's status as a planet is not without controversy.  Percival
> Lowell, who paid for the telescope used to find Pluto, and who paid the
> salary of its discoverer (Clyde Tombaugh), was very eager to make
> history
> by finding a ninth planet, so when Pluto was found, there was a vested
> interest in it being a planet.
>

If you visit the Rose Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural
History in new York, you will see that they unilaterally have declared
Pluto not to be a planet but a Kuiper body. This is controversial, to
say the least.  The worst aspect of that decision is that the mnemonic
becomes "My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine--"  Nine what?
It used to be "Nine Pizzas," but now it's just "Nine."

Respectfully,
Eric Jablow