鈥淭he IAU vote is a muddled compromise that will not settle the question of 鈥榃hat is a planet?鈥� Pluto is not a 鈥榩lanet鈥� according to resolution 1, but it is a 鈥榙warf planet鈥� by resolution 2. So is it a 鈥榩lanet鈥�? I thought so before and think so now.鈥�
Andrew Cheng of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (SpaceDaily.com, 29 August)
鈥淚t鈥檚 an awful definition; it鈥檚 sloppy science and it would never pass peer review. I have nothing but ridicule for this decision.鈥�
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Alan Stern, who leads NASA鈥檚 New Horizons mission to Pluto (BBC online, 25 August)
鈥淢any astrologers believe that Pluto鈥檚 effects were seen in charts done centuries ago, even from the 1600s 鈥� effects that were mapped out more fully only after Pluto was discovered.鈥�
Adel Ather, owner of an astrology studio in Toronto, Canada, claims that the new status of Pluto will not change its supposed 鈥減owerful鈥� influence (Ottawa Citizen, Canada, 25 August)
鈥淲estern astrology uses Pluto as a planet while Pluto was always out of Indian astrology and we do not use it in our calculations.鈥�
Astrologer Mangal Prasad concurs that the reclassification will not affect Indian astrology, though for the opposite reason (Kerala online, 29 August)
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure the discussion is finished. There are T-shirts selling on the internet proclaiming 鈥楶luto IS a planet鈥�.鈥�
Dava Sobel, author and member of the planet definition committee appointed by the International Astronomical Union (New Zealand Herald, 29 August)
