3. Our Solar System and the Pluto Problem
A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Astronomy and Physics
This lecture reviews Newton's Third Law in the context of exoplanet detection, surveys the structure of the inner and outer Solar System, and analyzes the IAU's planetary classification debate, specifically addressing Pluto's reclassification.
Frontiers/Controversies in Astrophysics (ASTR 160)
Class begins with a review of the first problem set. Newton's Third Law is applied in explaining how exoplanets are found. An overview of the Solar System is given; each planet is presented individually and its special features are highlighted. Astronomy is discussed as an observational science, and the subject of how to categorize objects in the Solar System is addressed. The Pluto controversy is given special attention and both sides of the argument regarding its status are considered.
Seminar notes & discussion
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