WHEN the International Astronomical Union downgraded Pluto to a “dwarf planet” in 2006, outrage broke out on a grand scale. On page 44, there’s good news for Plutophiles. The great Pluto debate is far from over and, by one – rounded – definition, even the moon could be redefined as a planet. Ultimately, of course, this cosmic brouhaha changes nothing. In fact it makes astronomers look like stamp collectors, not serious scientists. Can these fine minds please focus on something more productive?
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