Prof. M. F. A'Hearn
Due: Thu, 7 Sept

Problems from textbook, chapter 1

1. problem 1.3
2. problem 1.4
3. problem 1.5

Problems not from textbook

1. As you have undoubtedly read in the newspapers, the IAU's definition of a planet has led to a lot of interest in the public and in the media. This discussion has been going on for almost ten years. Read the two essays about classifying Pluto and planets generally from the Procedings of the Manchester IAU meeting in 2000, one by A'Hearn, and one by Stern and Levison. For modernists, who don't want to actually go to the library and look at the transactions, the on-line version of this assignment has web links.
   Then read two much more recent items:
   1. The IAU resolution and discussion thereof which is on the web at www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/NEWS.55.0.html.
   2. A recent paper by Basri and Brown available at Mike Brown's web site, www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/whatsaplanet/ (it is the one he calls a moderately technical paper).
   Write a short essay on how you think the things that orbit the sun should be classified, including a definition of the word planet, and list the objects that would be planets under your scheme.