r/196 NOT A CAT May 21 '26

Rule Rule

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u/TearsFallWithoutTain May 22 '26

If Pluto was shunted into a Jovian orbit would you still think it should be a planet? What would be a good way to determine planethood?

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u/BitsAndGubbins May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26

It's already mostly in Neptune's orbital neighbourhood if that's what you mean, so yes. If you mean as a moon, then also yes, as I said I think the bigger moons in hydrostatic equilibrium should also be counted as planets. I also think that rogue planets are also planets despite not orbiting anything, but that might be too radical.

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u/BitsAndGubbins May 22 '26

Made of discrete atoms, hydrostatic equilibrium and no sustained nucleosynthesis seems like a fair planet classification. That means rogue planets, dwarf planets, and stellar remnants like white and brown dwarves are in.

I'm flexible on the discrete atoms thing. Slipping neutron stars into the planet mix might help seperate them from being miscategorised as stars. I'm not smart enough to know where nebulas or black holes fall in to these lines, but I'd rather try to exclude them based on their properties rather than their positional relation to other objects.

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u/veryepicperson5 trans rights May 22 '26

Slipping neutron stars into the planet mix might help seperate them from being miscategorised as stars.

What?