pluton

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Title: Determination of Masses of Mercury and Venus from Observations of
Five Minor Planets
Authors: Sitarski, G.
Journal: Acta Astronomica, v.45, pp.665-672, (1995). (cite from p. 665)
"It is the known case of Pluto that its mass was overestimated until the
Pluton's moon, Charon, was discovered in 1978."


> Well, besides that 1996 Usenet post, "pluton" (in the
> relevant sense) has been kicking around in the
> English-language press since at least
> 1997:
>
> 1997 _Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch_ 8 June 7B (Factiva/Nexis)
> Some astronomers have taken to calling these Plutolike
> objects ice dwarfs.
> Personally, I prefer Plutons. Poor Pluto has taken its lumps
> lately, and deserves some sort of recognition. So Pluto is a
> comet, a Kuiper Belt object, an ice dwarf or a Pluton. Take your pick.
> [From a column by astronomer Tom Burns.]
>
>
>

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