pluton

[Benjamin Zimmer]

More on "pluton" here:

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003481.html

(Comments welcome.)

--Ben Zimmer


On 8/17/06, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: pluton
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>         From Ron Cowen, "Plutos galore: ice dwarfs may dominate the
> solar system's planetary population," Science News (Sept. 21, 1991) (via
> Westlaw):
>
>         <<"There's really no adequate theory for the formation of Uranus
> and Neptune, and I really can't see how one can speak too intelligently
> about Triton and Pluto and these 1,000 'Plutons' without some framework
> for the whole origin of that part of the solar system," says George W.
> Wetherill of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (D.C.)>>
>
>         The article discusses a theory that there are some 1,000 other
> ice-covered planets that orbit the sun with a size, mass and chilly
> surface similar to Pluto.  Except for this one reference, they are
> referred to as "Plutos."
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 1:59 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: pluton
>
> 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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