AJ and I have been following the news about Pluto's status as a planet with great interest. In today's paper, we read a couple of articles about the meeting of astronomers to determine the meaning of the word "planet," a meeting that no matter how it comes out, is likely to affect what we consider the number of planets in our solar system. It looks like we can all wave goodbye to My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. But whether it means more planets or fewer in our solar system is not yet certain.

The most interesting thing I read about the subject was an editorial in today's New York Times by Mike Brown, the discoverer of 2003UB313, better known as Planet Xena. He points out that the definition of planet -- and by extension the size of our solar system -- is only partially a scientific issue. Mostly, it's a cultural issue. We like the nine planets. There are enough to feel sizeable, but not so many that we can�t remember them. How will we feel if we should go back to the pre-1930 8 planets? Or what if we move up to 12? What about 53?

While the decisions made by astronomers don't change the structure of our universe, they will certainly change the way we think of it and also our relation to it. Is the solar system to be a fixed concept or is it open to new explorations, new inclusions? New things are exciting and represent growth and effort. But they are also a little scary. Messing with the 9 planet system is messing the foundation of our universe.

I find this all very interesting. I can't wait to see what happens.

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AJ is currently sitting with his telescope looking not heavenward but at Spongebob Squarepants on the TV. I�m trying to make him sit still for a half an hour, as he's more tired than he'll admit. Last night's ball game (Hello? White Sox? What was going on last night? Did you not get my letter? I don't even know who to blame it on because you all played so badly.) taxed him so greatly, that he slept until 8 a.m. -- an AJ first. I have pictures to post, but I have a new camera and haven't yet figured out how to upload them to the computer. Tomorrow, I hope. No pictures of Pluto, though. More's the pity.

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