Pyrolonn (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It is an odd system to be sure. Comets probably more by historical reasoning, rather than any real difference, have a different naming convention than asteroids and no minor planet number at all.

laurele861 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Pluto should never have been given a minor planet number, and neither should Ceres. Those should be reserved for asteroids and comets, objects defined as "small solar system bodies."

Shunmite (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

discovering a wonderful things around the universe can help us to learn a lot.

ForeverFlame88 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Stop lying to yourself that evolution is real. Subscribe! YouTube: "CSE-01 Age of the Earth (FULL) Kent Hovind." Google: "False Radiometric Dating Assumptions." If I get buried on top of a Dragon, doesn't prove I evolved from the Dragon. Homologous structures prove a Common Designer who designed similarly because He knew similar functions would require similar parts! Tautology: Who survives? The fittest. Who's the fittest? Those who survive! Richest, luckiest, funniest, quickest, strongest,etc.

Tounushi (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Dwarf planet: differentiated, spherical body.Vesta may be differentiated, but it is by no means spherical. It's more like a big potato.

HostileNegotiator (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Cool, thanks for clarifying :) I can't wait to learn about the super sized Earth like planet they discovered. Keppler 22b I think is its name.

Skaarjguy (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

If the IAU calls Vesta a Dwarf Planet then that means they'll be violating their own rules of planethood. If anything it should be a new class of asteroid, the only one of its kind besides Ceres. If that means calling it something silly like Vestoid then so be it.

Pyrolonn (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Actually, Pluto was downgraded to a "dwarf planet" (not asteroid), which is what the NASA investigator is claiming Vesta to be. (Pluto was given a minor planet number but still gets the dwarf planet status) Ceres already has dwarf planet status.

HostileNegotiator (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I admit I was upset when Pluto was downgraded to a planetiod. But in the aftermath I have realized there are classes of planets as we discover more and more. I have a feeling planets like Pluto will once again join our planetary family but defined in a class. Wow. Even science is classist.

Tiggification (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

This is a wonderful opportunity! So glad it was successful thus far. Any knowledge we can gain is tremendous. As for categorizing Vesta, to me the IAU are goofballs- no telling what they'll decide to label Vesta as. The decisions of a few scientists over the many, sigh. Poor Pluto, would have at least waited till New Horizons got there :-) but names and labels can be trivial.