Re: Combined answer: smallest ANCIENT non-bird dinosaur - was what I was asking

[Andreas Johansson <andreasj@gmail.com>]

On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 9:03 PM, David Marjanovic
<david.marjanovic@gmx.at> wrote:
> Actually, I don't quite understand why "dwarf planet" isn't considered a
> subcategory of "planet", the way "terrestrial planet" and "gas giant" are,
> rather than something completely separate.

It's a sort of compromise between those who wanted a more restricted
definition of "planet" (kicking out Pluto) and those wanting a wider
one (keeping Pluto while letting in Ceres and potentially hundreds of
transneptunians). Personally, I hope the classification of dwarf
planet dies a quiet death.

It's not like there isn't precedent, mind, even within solar system
astronomy - minor planets have been non-planets for the past 150 years
or so.

-- 
Andreas Johansson

Why can't you be a non-conformist just like everybody else?