[August 25, 2006] Nasa expert blasts Pluto demotion Tweet (The Times of India Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) The lead scientist on Nasa's robotic mission to Pluto has slammed the International Astronomical Union ruling to strip Pluto of its planet status. On Thursday, a meeting of IAU astronomers in Prague approved a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to a lesser category dwarf planet. Alan Stern, who leads the US space agency's New Horizons mission to Pluto and did not vote in Prague, told BBC News: "It's an awful definition; it's sloppy science and it would never pass peer review for two reasons. "Firstly, it is impossible and contrived to put a dividing line between dwarf planets and planets. It's as if we declared people not people for some arbitrary reason, like 'they tend to live in groups'." "Secondly, the actual definition is even worse, because it's inconsistent.", calling it "embarrassing". Stern is leading a fierce backlash against the decision by the IAU to strip Pluto of its status. The chair of the committee set up to oversee agreement on a definition implied that the vote had effectively been "hijacked". The vote took place at the IAU's 10-day general assembly in Prague. Only 424 astronomers who remained in Prague for the last day of the meeting took part. Stern said that like-minded astronomers had begun a petition to get Pluto reinstated. Car bumper stickers compelling motorists to "Honk if Pluto is still a planet" have gone on sale over the internet and e-mails are circulating about the decision. Copyright 2006 The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd. Source : Financial Times Information Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]