ScientistPankaj: The Pluto problem: Is it time to rethink our definition of a planet?

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

The Pluto problem: Is it time to rethink our definition of a planet?

Watch Blue Origin debut 2nd human-rated New Shepard | Space Quiz! Located in the constellation Orion, what type of star is Betelgeuse? | Pluto problem: Time to rethink our definition of a planet?

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October 23, 2024

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The Launchpad

Watch Blue Origin debut 2nd human-rated New Shepard

(Blue Origin)

Blue Origin plans to debut its second human-rated spacecraft on Wednesday (Oct. 23) after a more than two-week delay. Jeff Bezos' aerospace company aims to launch its uncrewed NS-27 mission at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, sending a brand-new New Shepard rocket-capsule combo on a brief trip to suborbital space. The liftoff was originally scheduled for Oct. 7, but Blue Origin called that attempt off due to an issue with the vehicle. Another try six days later was scuttled by a GPS issue.

Full Story: Space (10/23)

Space Quiz! Located in the constellation Orion, what type of star is Betelgeuse?

Learn the answer here!

Pluto problem: Time to rethink our definition of a planet?

(NASA)

In 2006, when astronomers gathered at the IAU meeting in Prague, a large contingent moved to solidify the definition of a planet. There were two camps: the geophysicists who argued that planets should be defined by their appearance, and the dynamists who believed that planets should be defined by their properties.

Full Story: Space (10/22)

Skywatching

See the 'comet of the century' light up the night sky

(Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has not disappointed photographers. The photogenic comet is currently speeding away from Earth but is still visible in the Northern Hemisphere night sky for another week or so. It's grown fairly dim, but can still be seen easily with binoculars high in the southwestern sky after sunset above a bright Venus.

Full Story: Space (10/22)

Spaceflight

China rolls out rocket for Shenzhou-19 astronaut launch

(VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

China's next space station mission is almost ready for launch. A Long March 2F rocket, topped with the Shenzhou 19 spacecraft, now sits on its pad at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China, ready for launch to the Tiangong space station.

Full Story: Space (10/23)

Science & Astronomy

Supergiant star Betelgeuse may have a 'Betelbuddy'

(Lucy Reading-Ikkanda/Simons Foundation)

Could the giant star Betelgeuse have a buddy? A Betelbuddy? Betelgeuse, the second-brightest star in the constellation Orion, is a giant star whose strange dimming has sparked debate over when it will collapse and explode in a massive supernova. Now, however, researchers believe a companion star may be behind Betelgeuse's irregular changes in brightness.

Full Story: Space (10/22)

SpaceX

Fall back to Earth in stunning new SpaceX video

(SpaceX)

A spectacular new video shows a set of SpaceX satellites ready to deploy into space. SpaceX's in-space video shows a stacked group of Starlink satellites being revealed after two pieces of protective hardware, known as payload fairings, fall away from the Falcon 9 rocket that launched the group.

Full Story: Space (10/22)

Technology

Starlink internet flies on a Boeing 777 jet for 1st time

(SpaceX)

SpaceX's Starlink internet service continues to make inroads around the globe. Starlink provided Wi-Fi on a Boeing 777 jet for the first time today (Oct. 22), during a Qatar Airways flight from the Qatari capital of Doha to London. The 777 is the "largest and longest-range passenger aircraft equipped with Starlink to date," SpaceX representatives said in a statement.

Full Story: Space (10/22)