A Planet Again
Comments(17)
Way to go New Mexico 
 Hey it’s more meaningful than anything I’ve seen coming out of mine this year. Heads up from SpaceRef.
From the New Mexico legislature:
A JOINT MEMORIAL
DECLARING PLUTO A PLANET AND DECLARING MARCH 13, 2007, “PLUTO PLANET DAY” AT THE LEGISLATURE.
     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is a global center for astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science; and
     WHEREAS, New Mexico is home to world class astronomical observing facilities, such as the Apache Point observatory, the very large array, the Magdalena Ridge observatory and the national solar observatory; and
     WHEREAS, Apache Point observatory, operated by New Mexico state university, houses the astrophysical research consortium’s three-and-one-half meter telescope, as well as the unique two-and-one-half meter diameter Sloan digital sky survey telescope; and
     WHEREAS, New Mexico state university has the state’s only independent, doctorate-granting astronomy department; and
     WHEREAS, New Mexico state university and Dona Ana county were the longtime home of Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto; and
     WHEREAS, Pluto has been recognized as a planet for seventy-five years; and
     WHEREAS, Pluto’s average orbit is three billion six hundred ninety-five million nine hundred fifty thousand miles from the sun, and its diameter is approximately one thousand four hundred twenty-one miles; and
     WHEREAS, Pluto has three moons known as Charon, Nix and Hydra; and
     WHEREAS, a spacecraft called new horizons was launched in January 2006 to explore Pluto in the year 2015;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that, as Pluto passes overhead through New Mexico’s excellent night skies, it be declared a planet and that March 13, 2007 be declared “Pluto Planet Day” at the legislature.
Hooray. A state legislature finally does something good
Could i be a planet for a day?
I’m not that big, and i’m a little excentric.
Why was is ever called anything but? I mean, after 75 years isn’t it a moot point?!
Is there a Jupiter June Day? Saturn September? Monday Mercury? I dont think so. But, there should be. (Venus,uranus,and neptune need a special day!)
That’s pretty neat. I hope Michigan will do the same someday.
Thanks Zach! Just what we need, a day to celebrate URANUS.
Would have been nice if my state (Arizona) would have done that. After all, it was discovered at Lowell Observatory!!
Seems silly. What difference does it make. Should we exclude the gas giants? They have no surface and aren’t made of rock. How can we consider the diameter of the gas giants if it’s gas and not solid surface?
Yeah! Wow look part of the government that works! Sad though that they had to even broach the subject.
Way to go New Mexico. I never did understand why Pluto was removed from “planet” status as it orbits the sun like the rest, has moons, isn’t just traveling meaninglessly through space,so does size really matter? I think Pluto should be grandfathered in as a planet, as it has been for 75 years. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it!!
im not too awfully sure that uranus needs a special day or not
Nice idea, commendable sentiments, heart’s in the right place… but this might be about as effectual as that Indiana State Legislature ruling of years ago that set the value of pi as three even. Personally, I think if anything deserves to be called a planet, it would be Titan (size, atmosphere, weather, even lakes — even if the chemistry is a bit different), but due to the accident of being in orbit around Saturn, it is merely considered a lowly moon…
Hey! there’s nothing lowly about moons!
Right on, Fight the powers that be in charge. they spent 70 years teaching the children of this planet that “Pluto is a Planet.”
Just looking at a diagram showing the orbital planes of all the planets, it is very obvious to me that Pluto is not of the same brew that the 8 planets are. I think people need to stop being so sentimental and be scientific.
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