NEW PLANETS? It must appear to any non-Earth person - if such an individual exists - would think of us as a rather shallow, eternally childlike set of residents for what appears to be such a fine planet.
This has occurred to me often during the current concerns which have developed about re-naming the planets - demoting little Plato - way out there - and making it a sub or quasi planet of some sort. The plan would, I understand, increase the total number of planet by four, at least.
Think what kind of ruckus that change alone would cause in the Halls of Learning where potential planetization persons proliferate. How do we go about, naming new planets, anyway? Do we simple name them after various God and Goddesses from some extinct religious faith? Or, do we just tag then with the name of anyone who claims to have been the first human being to see one of them? Of course, there are the old Numbers Systems. Dull. Too subject to error. Some suggest name new planets after rising stars of the entertainment world, In that case: Planet:"Mayberry" could note the date the start of Andy Griffith re-runs started on that particular orb. Others might include: "Gunsmoke", "Ponderosa", "Hoss", or "Arnold, the Pig. "
I can recall that there was, at one time, a mathematical formula which enabled a determined man or woman to show the nature of and the number of planets in our solar system 0each in its proper location. They were, according to the plan, located at "regular" or "constantly irregular " sites along the space-way. At the time, as I remember reading about it happening, some smart stargazer looked at were one was supposed to be, looked and found the "thing" we now call
"Pluto". Quick checks were run on other suggested sites. Nothing. This,in turn started a whole new idea going the rounds about "hidden", "unseen", even "unseeable" planets being our there and many went out looking. When "just looking" came to sound silly, it stopped.
So we'll have to re-resuscitate the old "science" magazines we read years ago and re-hash those ideas a bit. Just because we can't see them does not mean they are not there! You've never seen a lottery pay-off, but you still buy a ticket. Just think of the things which maybe out there in space which we have not seen.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 8-24-06 [416wds]
