I saw this same press release and was baffled by the statement "Pluto is
automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with
Neptune's."

Why wouldn't Neptune be "automatically disqualified" beause its obit must
overlap with Pluto's? Clearly it can't be "overlapping obits" alone that
causes Pluto the problem.

Pieter
wrote in message
ps.com...

Rich wrote:
In this era where political meddling and emotionalism in science is
ruining the disciplines, it's nice to see some logic still being
displayed. Tough luck, Tombaugh, start crying Levy.

Pluto gets the boot
Pluto no longer a planet, say astronomers

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday
that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that
downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.
[...]
Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a
planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has
sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so
that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the
neighborhood around its orbit."

Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps
with Neptune's.

Or, Neptune's orbit overlaps Pluto's. They'll never collide and both
are
orbiting the Sun. Throw Neptune out of the planetary list (or relist
it as a
Moon of the Sun) and keep Pluto planetary since it's farther out (and
we'll
be visiting it, not Neptune, in 2015). The arguments will never cease.
:-)

And, is it "THE sun" or "A sun" ( other solar systems)?