Conference to Grapple with Planet Definitions (Forwarded)

Applied Physics Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University
Laurel, Maryland

Media Contacts:

Dr. H. Weaver, 240-228-8078 or 443-778-8078

Dr. M. Sykes, Planetary Science Institute
520-622-6300

M. Buckley, 240-228-7536 or 443-778-7536

May 15, 2008

Conference to Grapple with Planet Definitions

Top scientists and educators will convene in Maryland this summer to
explore a basic, but controversial, question: What is a planet?

"The Great Planet Debate: Science as Process" conference will be held from
Aug. 14-16 at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
(APL) in Laurel, Md. Media are invited to attend the conference, which
includes scientific sessions, a debate and an educator's workshop that
address the processes leading to planet formation and characteristics and
the criteria used to define and categorize planets.

"The time is ripe to hold a scientific conference to examine how planets
form and evolve, both within our solar system and around other stars, as
well as their physical characteristics" says Dr. Mark Sykes, a conference
organizer and director of the Planetary Science Institute, Tucson,
Arizona. "This event provides researchers with a unique opportunity to
examine all sides of this issue and talk about it, face to face. They can
also sit down with educators to discuss how to broach the planet
definition controversy in the classroom."

In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union, the organization
that assigns names and classifications to astronomical objects, passed a
resolution defining new criteria for "planets," governed by their mass and
location. Under the IAU definition, only eight of the original nine
planets in our solar system qualify, with Pluto and similar bodies falling
into a new category of "dwarf planets." Segments of the planetary science
community objected to the IAU criteria, and the debate continues among
professional scientists, educators, and the public.

"No votes will be taken at this conference to put specific objects in or
out of the family of planets," says APL's Dr. Hal Weaver, a conference
organizer. "But we will have advocates of the IAU definition and
proponents of alternative definitions presenting their cases." This
includes an open-to-the-public debate between Dr. Sykes and Dr. Neil
deGrasse Tyson of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, on the
afternoon of Aug. 14.

After two days of scientific sessions, the educator's workshop on August
16 will provide a forum on how the planet debate can be used to spark
scientific inquiry in the classroom. "This topic provides the perfect
opportunity to teach science as a process, not a collection of facts,"
says organizing committee member Dr. Keith Noll of the Space Telescope
Science Institute, Baltimore. "We also need to stress the importance of
incorporating new discoveries to continually improve our understanding of
the diverse objects within planetary systems."

Further information on the conference and workshop, including the schedule
of invited talks, can be found at http://gpd.jhuapl.edu . Media interested
in attending the conference can contact M. Buckley at (240) 228-7536. The
registration fee is waived for media, teachers, and students.