Pluto supporters to IAU: The debate's not over (Forwarded)

University Communications
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Sept. 1, 2006

Pluto supporters to IAU: The debate's not over
By Karl Hill

Friends and colleagues of the late Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto, had
this to say Friday about the International Astronomical Union's decision to
reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet": Don't rewrite the textbooks yet.

"Why not? Because the debate is not over," New Mexico State University
astronomer Bernie McNamara told a high-spirited group of Pluto supporters
outside the university's Zuhl Library.

McNamara joined about 50 NMSU students and staff members -- some wearing
T-shirts and carrying signs saying "Protest for Pluto - Size Doesn't Matter"
-- for a good-natured challenge of the IAU vote. Patsy Tombaugh, the famed
astronomer's widow, and their son Al Tombaugh also participated.

McNamara noted the IAU had been considering a different set of criteria for
defining what a planet is -- criteria that would have expanded the number of
planets from nine to 12 -- shortly before the Aug. 24 vote was taken. "But
things changed" within the planetary definition committee, which came up
with new criteria that had the effect of demoting Pluto, and only about 400
of the IAU's thousands of members were present when the vote was taken, he
said.

"This was not a statement by the astronomical community at large," he said,
adding that a petition opposing the IAU definition of a planet is now
circulating among the world's planetary scientists and astronomers.

Herb Beebe, professor emeritus of astronomy and a longtime colleague of
Tombaugh's, suggested tongue in cheek that the definition of a planet made
about as much sense as the definition of continents on Earth. "Look at a map
-- what's with Europe and Asia?" he said. "I say let's eliminate Europe."

Beebe said the commonly repeated story of Tombaugh's early career -- that he
was a farm boy with an interest in astronomy whose drawings of Mars landed
him a job at Lowell Observatory -- is a little off the mark.

"He was not a novice," Beebe said after tracing some of the young Tombaugh's
achievements. "He might have been an amateur astronomer but he was not a
novice. He was a hardworking young man with a lot of training who helped
re-invigorate a program that was in bad shape."

Tombaugh was 24 years old when he discovered Pluto at Lowell Observatory in
1930. "It took 60 years and an accumulation of astronomers" using more
advanced technology to find the next solar system object similar to Pluto,
Beebe said.

"Clyde Tombaugh was an American hero," he said. "For that reason alone,
Pluto's status as a full-fledged planet should be kept."

Tombaugh came to NMSU in 1955 and developed a world-class astronomy research
program. He officially retired as a professor emeritus in 1973 but he
continued to be active as a lecturer for many years after that.

Following his death in 1997, at the age of 90, Tombaugh's family donated his
papers to the university. The papers are archived in NMSU's Branson Library,
Archives and Special Collections.

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://ucommphoto.nmsu.edu/newsphoto/pluto_protest.jpg (975KB)]
Al Tombaugh, foreground, with his wife Cherylee Tombaugh to his right, were
among the Pluto defenders who rallied at New Mexico State University Friday.
Al Tombaugh is the son of the late Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto.
(NMSU photo by Darren Phillips)